Making Sense Of Centshttp://www.makingsenseofcents.com
Thu, 08 Dec 2016 01:44:08 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.1MakingSenseOfCentshttps://feedburner.google.comSubscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with FeedlySubscribe with SubToMeSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with Bitty BrowserSubscribe with Daily RotationMy November 2016 Blog Income Report – $106,383.89http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MakingSenseOfCents/~3/WIYQK2OesrU/november-2016-blog-income-report.html
http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/12/november-2016-blog-income-report.html#commentsWed, 07 Dec 2016 09:30:37 +0000http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/?p=29059Welcome to November’s business income report where I show you how I made money online last month. It’s time to look at this month’s update and see how I did. If you’re new to Making Sense of Cents, you may be wondering why I would want to publish my income report each month. You can simply skip to the next section if […]

]]>Welcome to November’s business income report where I show you how I made money online last month. It’s time to look at this month’s update and see how I did.

If you’re new to Making Sense of Cents, you may be wondering why I would want to publish my income report each month. You can simply skip to the next section if you’re not new here.

This all started out as my extra income report because in the beginning, it was all about the money I was earning from my side jobs. In my side income reports from the beginning, I included all of the income I made except for what I made at my day job.

However, I left my day job as a financial analyst in October of 2013 and now my monthly income reports consist of the many ways I earn a living.

Many have asked why I would ever want to publicly post my income each month. Some think I’m crazy, whereas some are glad I’m open about what I’m doing. Whatever you think, I enjoy publishing my monthly online income reports and I share them publicly for three main reasons:

Before I started blogging, I knew nothing about side hustling and making money online. I didn’t think side jobs were worth the effort and I thought the only way to significantly increase your income was through raises at your full-time job. If it weren’t for others publishing their monthly income reports, I don’t know if I would have ever tried side hustling. I want to help show others the positives in side hustling and how it can change a person’s life. There are many different ways to make money online, and I like to share my story each month to help motivate others to improve their financial situation by making more money.

Secondly, I like to publish my income reports because it’s a way for me to look back, learn from my mistakes and actually see what areas need improvement. I use my monthly income reports as a way to track how I’ve done and I treat it sort of like a journal.

Lastly, I like to show others that making side money is possible and that there are many legitimate ways to make money from your home. If you are looking for information on the many ways to make money online, I published the article Monthly Income Report Roundup that showcases many successful bloggers who are kind enough to share their income with the public each month.

I know I say this every month, but it’s the truth. Life is great now that I’m my own boss and a full-time blogger. I look forward to each and every day and it’s a wonderful feeling. I truly love waking up every single morning.

Above are just a few of the reasons for why I enjoy publishing my monthly income reports. I like to show others that you don’t have to hate your job and hate your life. You can make changes to your life and make money in a way that allows you to truly enjoy the life you are living. I’m not saying that you have to LOVE your job, I’m just saying that your job should, at least, allow you to do what you like to do outside of work (whether that be spending time with loved ones, painting, hiking, etc.).

How was my business income in November?

I earned $106,383.89 blogging and online in November, before expenses.

But, before we talk further about last month’s income, can you believe we’re in the last month of the year?

For the past 11 months of 2016, I have earned $887,556 altogether. It’s crazy how great 2016 has been. 2015 was a great year, but 2016 has definitely blown the previous year out of the water!

I’m so close to earning $1,000,000 in 2016 and I won’t lie – I’m going to try my hardest in order to get there.

I’m also very excited for 2017. I know it will be another great year! The business is doing well and I’m very happy with it. I’ve been catching myself saying “Life is really good” a LOT. And, I truly mean it. Life is really good!

My business is growing, income is increasing, I have tons of amazing ideas for 2017, and I am very excited about everything. I really love my business and I don’t know where I would be without it.

Anyway, November was another great month. It was great on all fronts – blogging, course-wise, life, and everything else. Due to how far ahead I am with my posting schedule, I spent most of November learning about how to improve my page views. I plan on going over that in a featured question soon since many of you have been wondering how to improve page views as well.

My Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course is still doing very well and I had many new students join the course last month. I think a lot of this has to do with all of the amazing reviews that I’m hearing about my course such as:

One blogger went from $0 in Amazon affiliate income to over $1,500 after taking the course.

One blogger went from $87 a month in affiliate income before taking the course, to over $1,700 a month after!

One blogger received their first affiliate sale just two days after taking the course (and they were a brand new blogger too!).

Another blogger doubled their monthly affiliate income from $2,500 to $5,000.

Plus, I’ve heard and read many other great reviews about my course.

If you’re a blogger, I recommend checking out my blogging course, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. I share my exact strategy and tips in this very informative online course. If you’re a blogger, then you need to check out this course.

If you are interested in starting a blog of your own, I created a tutorial that will help you start a blog of your own for cheap, starting at only $2.95 per month (this low price is only through my link) for blog hosting. In addition to the low pricing, you will receive a free website domain (a $15 value) through my Bluehost link if you purchase, at least, 12 months of blog hosting. FYI, if you are asking yourself “can you make money blogging?” – my top tip is to be self-hosted. This is essential if you want to monetize your blog as you will appear more professional and this will help you monetize your blog tremendously. My blogging income did not take off until after I switched to self-hosted WordPress.

This graphic only goes back to 2015. You can find all of my income reports here.

Total: $106,383.89

The income amount above is for the month of November and before any fees or expenses (some fees and expenses that lower the amount above total around $2,900 (rounded up), which include virtual assistants, Teachable course platform fee, technical assistance, newsletter expenses, PayPal fees, Stripe fees, etc., however, this does not include taxes) being taken out. I also had expenses for the affiliates promoting my course, which totaled $7,019.55. After expenses and fees, I made approximately $96,464.

Please keep in mind that I work for myself when you read my monthly income report. This means I have to cover taxes (which are over 30%), health insurance, and all other benefits/expenses that an employer may provide.

Below are some of my other monthly online income reports. I publish an online income update every month but only included some of them below as it would be a very long list. If you head on over to my income page you can find all of my monthly income reports from the past few years.

Comparisons and 2016 online income total:

Blog news

Making Sense of Cents is doing very well and I’m happy with everything. One thing that just happened is that I was finally verified on Twitter! Having that checkmark next to my name sure is nice

I’m still around two months ahead when it comes to blog posts. I’m using this extra time to focus on completing stuff from the SEO mastermind that I just finished. Some of you have expressed interest in knowing what we worked on. What we did is that we went through the two courses below together, as well as took an instructor-led course once a week by the same authors of the two courses. So, in total, we took three courses together (including the two below):

I’ve learned a lot about SEO from these courses and have been applying everything I’ve learned to my blog posts. I highly recommend taking these.

The other thing I hope to focus on in December is to start guest posting. I’ve only guest posted a handful of times since I started blogging back in 2011, and I would like to start doing that more in order to get the Making Sense of Cents name out to more people.

Overall, traffic remained around the same and I received around 400,000 page views. Pinterest traffic dropped last month due to different Pinterest changes, but organic and Facebook traffic each increased.

Even though page views are down, income is at a great level. This is why I always say that blog income is not 100% dependent on page views. I will be honest, though, I do hope that page views increase in the near future. I believe that they will eventually, but this is a great reason to learn how to diversify my traffic as well as increase my email list.

Below are several business-related updates:

Up until just a week or two ago, I never spent any time on Twitter for my blog. Instead, I just used it to talk with others and I hardly ever shared my own blog posts on there. Well, I recently changed that. I want to see if Twitter is worthwhile when it comes to traffic, so I have started scheduling Twitter posts for my blog for a month at a time (I like to batch my tasks together, so scheduling a full month worth of blog posts is what I like to do). It doesn’t take long to do and so far for the work that I’ve done I would say that it is worth it.

I’m currently trying out Haute Chocolate for my blog images with a 3 month subscription. The price is great and I love the images as well. If you’re looking for images, I definitely recommend checking them out. Both of the “Pinterest” images in this blog post are from Haute Chocolate.

I released my How To Start A Blog FREE Course a few months ago. If you’ve been wanting to start a blog, then check this out. I created this email course for those who are interested in starting a blog, but haven’t done so yet. The course is free, and over 8,000 people have already signed up just in the past few months. Thank you to everyone who has sent me kind emails about how great the course is. I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner!

Due to how well my first free course went, in August I created the free Master Your Money email course. It’s full of great money management lessons and financial worksheets (such as a free budget template), and I’m loving the positive response from this email course as well. What topic should I turn into a course next?

This month, I will hopefully be creating a free personal finance support group on Facebook. I’m extremely excited for this to be live! This would be a place where everyone can talk about money freely, seek support and help, and so on.

In April of 2016, I switched to ConvertKit. Aweber was good, but Convertkit makes sending an effective and efficient newsletter so much easier and better. The switch has been going very well so far. I never really understood email marketing before, but ConvertKit makes it so easy and now I feel like I’m an expert! ConvertKit has really helped me to improve my affiliate income even though my page views have been down.

Also, I have received many questions recently about how I’m staying connected to the internet so that I can work and travel in my RV at the same time. I use a Verizon Mifi and I am able to stay connected pretty much anywhere with it. It really comes in handy because you can’t always trust free wifi. Sometimes free wifi is slow, hard to find, or not safe. I don’t know what I would do without this device!

Featured Question: How can I make more blogging income around the holidays?

I feature one question from a reader in each monthly income report. Please leave a comment below if you have a question that you would like me to answer.

This question was recently asked by a student in my course and I decided to turn it into a new lesson for Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. Below is a quick summary of that (you can see the full version if you purchase the course or if you are already a student in the course).

The holidays are a big time for shopping, which means it’s also a great time for affiliate marketing!

November and December are the biggest shopping months of the year and are often the biggest income months for bloggers and affiliate marketers.

One important thing to note is that according to the 2016 Deloitte holiday shopping survey, a BIG change will occur- during this holiday season, stores will see an EQUAL amount of shopping online as well as offline. Before this, the majority of holiday shopping happened in-person at the store, but this year will be different.

This means that the 2016 holiday shopping season will be the biggest year for online shopping.

Below are various ways to promote affiliate links during the holidays.

Publish holiday gift guides. Holiday gift guides are one of the most popular ways to promote affiliate links. Readers love gift guides, as it can help them decide what to purchase for their family and friends. And, trust me on this, we’ve all searched for something like “What to get mom for the holidays,” “What to get a nephew for the holidays,” or something else along those lines. Here’s an example of a holiday gift guide: 10 Frugal Gifts For The Traveler Under $20.

Share sales, discounts, coupon codes, and more. The holiday season usually means that there are sales and deals everywhere, so you should be sharing them on your blog and social media accounts! By doing so, you’ll create urgency, and you’ll also get your readers more interested in a specific product since they know that they’ll be getting a deal.

Share affiliate links on social media. Social media is another great place to share your affiliate links. And, for the most part, it takes less work than creating a whole gift guide or blog post about a specific product.

Mention affiliate products in your newsletter. The next time you send out an email to your newsletter subscribers, you may want to think about adding a few affiliate links to it (as long as that’s allowed by the affiliate program).

My plans for my blog and my business.

Plans and goals can help you to run a successful business. I believe that working towards a goal can help keep a person motivated too.

Below are some of the areas I am currently working on:

Promote the blog and business better.I am doing much better at promoting my articles and I’m noticing an improvement. I recently started focusing more on improving my traffic from Facebook, and I’ve been very pleased with the results. I used to only see around 100 visits a day from Facebook, but in the past month I have been seeing anywhere from around 2,000 to 3,000 visits a day from Facebook.

Diversify traffic sources. A lot of my traffic comes from Pinterest, due to this, I would like to spend more time diversifying my traffic. This is why I’m starting to spend more time on Facebook and learning more about SEO.

Continue learning and improving.I’m currently learning about SEO.

Take part in more interviews. I took part in over 10 interviews in November due to the release of my course. I have one webinar planned for December (I can’t wait to share that), as well as a few other things.

Increase my page views to 1,000,000 each month. I realize this is a superficial goal, but it’s quantifiable and that’s what I like about it. I would like to hit one million page views a month by Summer 2017. My plan is to focus even more on Pinterest, Facebook, and SEO. Wish me luck!

Affiliate income results.

Overall, I earned $52,324.89 in affiliate income in November of 2016, as outlined earlier in this blog income report.

I’m a huge fan of affiliate income, of course. It’s something that I enjoy due to how passive it can be. It makes full-time traveling much more enjoyable when I know I can bring in an income while having fun seeing new areas.

As I always say, blogging income is not dependent on page views. Even brand new bloggers can make money through affiliate marketing. If you know the correct way to promote a product, you can succeed at affiliate marketing. This is one of the main things I teach in my Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course.

My affiliate marketing course went live in July of 2016. I’ve already had over 900 people purchase the course, and I’d love to have you as a student too!

In Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, there are 6 modules, over 30 lessons, several worksheets, bonuses, an extremely helpful and exclusive Facebook group, and more. I go through everything that you need to know about affiliate marketing, such as:

A quick introduction to affiliate marketing and how it works

The benefits of affiliate marketing

The exact steps I’ve taken to earn over $400,000 from a single blog post

How to correctly pick affiliate products to promote

The steps to increase your conversion rate

How to build trust with your readers (this is a MUST!)

The required disclosures you need to know about

The major tool you need for affiliate marketing

The many different strategies to promote your affiliate links

My course is anything and everything about affiliate marketing. This course is perfect for you whether you are a new blogger or if you’ve been blogging for years, no matter what topic your blog is about, what country you live in, and so on. I wrote this course so that it would benefit everyone, and there is so much to learn from it!

How was November for you? Are you interested in earning blogging income?

]]>http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/12/november-2016-blog-income-report.html/feed43http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/12/november-2016-blog-income-report.htmlAre Your Excuses Making You Broke And Unsuccessful?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MakingSenseOfCents/~3/efx3AA7iLa4/stop-making-excuses.html
http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/12/stop-making-excuses.html#commentsMon, 05 Dec 2016 08:45:17 +0000http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/?p=28636The title of this post is very straightforward, and I wanted it to be that way. Everyone is guilty of making excuses, and I know that people will continue to make them until they realize that excuses are just that- excuses. Just think about the last time you said “That won’t work for me because […]

]]>The title of this post is very straightforward, and I wanted it to be that way. Everyone is guilty of making excuses, and I know that people will continue to make them until they realize that excuses are just that- excuses.

Just think about the last time you said “That won’t work for me because (insert your excuse here).”

As a personal finance expert, I hear a lot of reasons for why a person can’t save money, pay off debt, live the life they want, reach retirement, and so on.

There are plenty of legitimate reasons for why some people have financial setbacks, but there are still many people making excuses for why they can’t achieve their goals or why their life is bad.

If you want to stop living paycheck to paycheck, have money in savings and for retirement, and to take control of your financial situation, you’ll have to start owning up to your mistakes and finding a way to change things for the better.

Stop comparing yourself to others.

When making excuses, you may find yourself comparing yourself to others and coming up with reasons for why something is impossible for you.

By comparing yourself to others and minimizing their accomplishments, you are just holding yourself back.

Sure, you may not be able to reach a goal as quickly as someone else or it may require more hard work, but that doesn’t mean that everything is impossible for you. Everyone is on a different path, and there are people who are better off than you and people who are worse off.

Instead of comparing your path to those around you, you should focus on what you can do to make your dream a reality.

If you truly want something, you’ll make it happen.

If you really want something in life, you’ll put the needed effort towards making it a reality.

By making an excuse for why something is impossible for you, you’re already quitting.

Who wants to be a quitter?

Reaching your goal will take time and there might be setbacks, but your goal is only impossible if you quit before you get there.

Find out why you make excuses.

People make excuses for all sorts of reasons. By figuring out why you make excuses, you’ll be closer to tackling your problem.

Common reasons that people make excuses include:

Fear of not reaching a goal, failure, hard work, etc.

Being scared

A belief that life is unfair

Not really wanting it (i.e. you’re not motivated)

Lack of confidence

And more!

Start believing in yourself.

Success isn’t easy. If it were easy, then everyone would be extremely successful and that word wouldn’t even exist.

To take control of your life and to be successful, you need to start believing in yourself and stop making excuses.

Next time you think “That’s not possible for me because of (your excuse),” you should think instead about how you can make your goal a reality.

You NEED to admit that you are making excuses, because until you admit that, you will most likely just continue making them.

Yes, it may be a little difficult to change your mindset in the beginning, but as time passes you’ll realize that your excuses were just a waste of time and thought. Because, if you really want something, you can find ways to make it a reality.

]]>http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/12/stop-making-excuses.html/feed28http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/12/stop-making-excuses.htmlHow I Earned $655 From Random Craigslist Jobs In One Monthhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MakingSenseOfCents/~3/JvDF8ZVaXds/how-to-make-money-on-craigslist.html
http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/12/how-to-make-money-on-craigslist.html#commentsFri, 02 Dec 2016 09:00:48 +0000http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/?p=27964Today, I have a great post about how to make money on Craigslist. As you know, I’m all about finding ways to make extra income as this can help you take control of your finances! Jeff is a debt-fighting husband and dad, who uses frugal instincts to capture savings for his tribe. But when he’s not hunting […]

]]>Today, I have a great post about how to make money on Craigslist. As you know, I’m all about finding ways to make extra income as this can help you take control of your finances! Jeff is a debt-fighting husband and dad, who uses frugal instincts to capture savings for his tribe. But when he’s not hunting for the next best deal, he summons his side-hustle intuition to earn supplemental income. Craig’s List gigs, blogging, and drop shipping are his favorite side hustles. Enjoy!

I was doing everything right.I was putting away savings.I was investing in mutual funds and carefully selected stocks.I was buying toys and furniture from yard sales, driving used cars paid in full, and paying off my credit cards every month.I was even shopping at the Salvation Army every Wednesday, taking advantage of their 50% off Wednesday deals.

But regardless of my disciplined saving habits, and the parsimonious life-style I practiced and coached to my family, I was still falling short on my financial goals.

I didn’t know what I was doing wrong.Maybe my commitment was the problem.

Was I being too much of a tight-wad?Are my goals so narrow-minded that I’m missing something blissful in the present?Is my commitment for early retirement unhealthy?All of these existential questions twisted through my mind.And I didn’t have the answer.But the thoughts still gnawed at me.

I was browsing a financial forum, and someone was echoing the same problem that I was having.This person was saving, and shopping wisely, and committed to frugality.This person followed the core tenets of early retirement.But this person was still falling short, leaving him confused and disheveled.But then someone replied: “you don’t have a savings problem, you have an income problem.”

And that opened my eyes.I also have an income problem.

I make $60,000 a year as a project manager.I love my job.But I am the sole provider for my wife and our 2 little kids.So although I think it’s a decent salary, there just isn’t enough to go around for (4) people, and my ambitions to retire early.So to fix my “income problem,” I had to increase my income.

But I didn’t want a 2nd job.I thought that would be too much of a commitment, too much paperwork, and too much scheduling.I needed something that was easy, and mindless.I needed something that could pay now, that involved tasks I could perform on auto-pilot, without requiring too much brain power.And the only low-commitment, part time jobs that fit this profile, I thought, would be a gas station or grocery store job.But I just wasn’t willing to do those, especially for minimum wage.

I needed something a little more brutal.Something more grunty, and low key.So I looked where I often look for solutions: Craig’s List.

Craig’s List has a “Gigs” section where people list menial, one-time jobs.Usually, these jobs include lawn work, or manual labor gigs.You email the ad, and then the person contacts you if they are still looking for someone to complete the work.

And that’s what I did to earn additional income.

And I documented all of it.

In September 2014, I earned $655 off Craig’s List gigs.

I worked about 35 hours, which comes out to more than $18 an hour, more than double the minimum wage in Pennsylvania.All the gigs were low-key, 1-day, manual labor jobs.And none of the gigs required paperwork.They were all booked according to my schedule.And best of all, they all paid cash at the end of the day.So there was no weekly or biweekly delay in getting paid.

Here are Details For Some Of The Memorable Experiences Of When I’ve Made Money on Craigslist

Helped Tear Down An Art Display

Payout: $40 for 1 hour of labor

The Gig: This was my first gig, and it gave me a great first taste.A popular art event was happening in a nearby county.A woman a posted on Craig’s List, requesting help to tear down displays for her custom-made fabrics and clothing.After some emails, I secured the gig.I broke down the display, helping take down shelving, mannequins, clothe racks, and clothes.The gig ad initially offered $20.But she expressed that she was very happy with my service, so she bumped up the pay to $40.

Helped Demo an Old YMCA Building

Payout: $250 for 17.5 hours of work

The Gig:Now this is what I had in mind when looking for grunt work.A property developer bought an antiquated, condemned YMCA building.It was the beginning stages of rehabbing the facility, which required junk removal and demo.The gym was covered in old, hard-wood flooring, desks, and other miscellaneous furniture.And it was my job to tear up the floors, and break down the furniture.So I showed up with a mauler, and started breaking everything down.This gig lasted 3 weekends, and filled up a nice chunk of time.

Helped A Moving Crew

Payout: $170 for 12 hours

The Gig: In summary, after this experience, I will never do another moving gig.When I first responded to the ad, I figured it would be easy grunt work: load some boxes into a truck, then unload at a new destination.But this gig was not only located 90 minutes away, but the customer also had 2 truck loads worth of furniture that needed moved out of a 2-story house.And then this person’s new house was a 3-floor townhouse.The gig took 12 hours to complete.And at the end of it, although I was $170 richer, I was certainly exhausted.

Mowed Small Lawn

Payout: $25 for 30 minutes

The Gig:This is a gig I would do every day If I could. But grass just doesn’t grow fast enough.It was foolishly easy.It was a small plot of flat land, less than a ¼ acre.The toughest part was I had to haul my mower to the gig.But even that was easy.

It was exciting seeing the variety of work I could score.I never suffered from labor-monotony, and was typically pretty enthusiastic to get the work done, knowing I would be paid that day.

But what impressed me the most was that I averaged over $18 an hour..Sure, that’s not nearly enough to survive off of.And it pales in comparison to my salary.But, when I compare it to working fast-food, or grocery stores, or gas stations, I can’t help but think that searching and performing Craig’s List gigs are a much better option.You learn sales skills (gotta sell your menial labor service!), labor skills, and advertising skills.None of which you’re going to learn corralling shopping carts.

But securing the gigs wasn’t easy.There are other people that know about this secret honey pot of jobs.People will low ball you and devalue your time.And people will try to down-talk the amount of work required.So you’ll need to be prepared, so that you’re not taken advantage of.Here are some tips for securing these coveted gigs:

Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For More Money

Remember that this is Craig’s List.

And Craig’s List is notorious for shady people.But you’re not one of them.But there’s a good chance that your competition is.So be sure to show off your education, your commitment to your family, your responsibility, and anything else that will demonstrate your responsibility in your introduction email.Because chances are, your competition isn’t doing this.

Here’s an example:

Discuss And Agree Upon Money Upront

People may try to low ball you, or they may not fulfill their end of the deal.

I have been low balled, but luckily, I’ve never not been compensated.The key is to consistently reaffirm what the compensation is.Do this in your email.Then do this again when you first arrive to the gig-site.This won’t stop the person from being a lying scumbag, but if they’re honest, and you provide good, honest work, then you’re more likely to get your money.

But the only way to deal with low-ballers is to know what you’re worth.

How long will it take?

And how difficult is the gig?

Does the gig require more than 1 person?

These are important questions to ask yourself when assessing the work.You’ll need to determine your own value, and request that for compensation.Knowing your value is something that may require a few gigs to learn.But if you end up mowing a ½ acre lawn, filled with hornet nests and Lyme disease for only $15, you should learn pretty quickly that you just got a raw deal.So don’t be afraid to value your time when trying to score gigs.

Have a Clear Understanding of the Gig

When browsing through the gigs, you’ll learn that there are a lot of illegitimate gigs.These gigs are always vague in detail, but always promising big paydays. These are bogus.A real gig will provide a real scope of work, such as mowing a ¼ acre lawn, or pulling weeds from a flower bed, or painting 2 bedrooms with 8’ tall ceilings.You’ll know immediately what the work is, and you have an easy time envisioning the gig.If a gig listing looks somewhat promising, but still a little unclear, be sure to ask a lot of questions.

Where is the work?

How much work is there?

When can I perform the work?

If the person has answers to these questions, then you know that this person has put enough thought to this project to know that it’s legit.Here’s an example of me clarifying a gig:

In response to the email above, 30 cubic yards of mulch is huge (similar to an SUV)!And to move all of that with a just wheel barrow is an insane amount of labor.So when deciding what my price would be, I needed to know how close the mulch was to the landing areas.But, because he wasn’t willing to let me know any of the information, I passed on the opportunity.His unwillingness to address my concerns let me know that we didn’t share the same concerns, and that he was trying to make a big project seem a lot smaller than it actually was.

So, use this post as inspiration.It’s not investing advice, or real estate advice.But it’s a good, hands-on method to boost your monthly income without committing to a 2nd job.

Author Bio: Jeff is a debt-fighting husband and dad, who uses frugal instincts to capture savings for his tribe. But when he’s not hunting for the next best deal such as learning how to make money on Craigslist, he summons his side-hustle intuition to earn supplemental income. Craig’s List gigs, blogging, and drop shipping are his favorite side hustles. But check out the details for many more side hustle options on his blog, Jason Coupon King.

]]>http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/12/how-to-make-money-on-craigslist.html/feed12http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/12/how-to-make-money-on-craigslist.htmlYou Don’t Have To Go Broke For Your Kid’s Educationhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MakingSenseOfCents/~3/KtQvMcOqzxE/should-parents-pay-for-college-tuition.html
http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/should-parents-pay-for-college-tuition.html#commentsWed, 30 Nov 2016 08:00:50 +0000http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/?p=28361Should parents pay for their children’s college education? Do parents have to pay for their children’s college education? These are tough questions to ask and to answer, but they are very important when thinking about the increasing cost of higher education. These kinds of questions are also really relevant to my blog, as I began […]

]]>Should parents pay for their children’s college education? Do parents have to pay for their children’s college education? These are tough questions to ask and to answer, but they are very important when thinking about the increasing cost of higher education.

My student loan debt was higher than the average $30,000 per student, and surprisingly, it is often the parents who are taking out loans to cover their kid’s education. I’ve read countless stories of parents who have $200,000 in student loan debt for their children, parents who are struggling financially, etc. These are parents who are drowning in debt for their children.

But, what’s even more surprising, many parents think this is normal. Even so, it’s a tough decision for a parent to make.

Many of the emails I receive are related to whether or not a parent should risk or possibly ruin their retirement by helping their child pay for college.

Here are some of the stories that parents have emailed me:

One mother told me that her and her husband were in constant fights over the amount of student loan debt they took out for their child. They aren’t on track for retirement and struggle with their daily bills, all because they thought that they HAD to pay for their child’s education.

One family has a child in medical school, and the parents are paying for all of their college expenses plus food, car, rent, etc. These parents are not on track for retirement and they have debt.

One set of parents told me that they had over $100,000 in student loans taken out in their name so their child could go to school. These parents are not on track for retirement and they have a lot of other debt besides student loans.

Another family has a child in law school, and the child said that if their parents don’t continue paying for their expenses, that they would hate their parents. This child was even more mad when the parents printed out every single blog post of mine and gave it to them (I did not tell their parents to do that, it was entirely their idea). The child said I was ruining their life (yup, that actually happened). And, these parents are not on track for retirement.

I hate hearing about these parents who are already in debt, not on track for retirement, and are now going even further into debt for their children’s education.

I understand that I’m not a parent.

However, I put myself through college entirely on my own. I paid for all of my housing expenses, food, college, transportation, and more.

I don’t hold grudges against my parents for the fact that I had to pay for everything (this is a reason for why some parents pay for their children’s education- they are worried that their children will be angry), and honestly I would be more upset if I found out that my parents went into debt and were struggling financially to get me through college.

So, if you want to pay for your child’s college education and can truly afford it, then do whatever you want with your money. However, before you take out loans when you’re not on track for retirement, please stop and think before you make any further actions!

Think before you cosign or use college loans for parents.

The default rate on student loan debt averages around 10% to 15%. In recent years, 90% of student loans are co-signed by others (mostly parents).

This means that if you co-sign a student loan for your child and they default, you will be stuck with the bill.

You may have a great relationship with your child, but everything can change once money is in the mix. I have heard of several people who had a falling out with their parents and actually purposely stopped paying their student loans because they knew that their parents would start paying them instead.

This is absolutely horrible, I know, but it does happen.

College can be expensive, which means that many people take out student loans in order to “afford it.” Before you cosign on student loan debt and pay for your child’s college education, I hope you understand the consequences that can come from it.

Your children will get better grades without your help.

Now, if you’re still on the fence about whether or not to pay for your child’s college education, maybe this next fact will help.

According to Forbes, children who have parents that pay for their college education tend to get the worst grades. This is because students who pay for their own education tend to be more serious about it because it’s their own money.

There are other ways you can help your child get through college.

If you cannot afford to pay for child’s college education, or if you decide that you just do not want to, there are many other things you can do to help them.

You can:

Help your child understand personal finance. Helping your child understand personal finance, such as creating a budget, will help them greatly in life. I recommend reading How To Create a Budget.

Support them and help them make a plan. Even if you are not offering financial support for college, you should support your children mentally. This doesn’t mean that you have to agree with what they do, rather help them by giving advice and coming up with a solid financial and college plan.

Help your child find ways to make money.There are tons of ways to make extra money, and helping your children find ways to do so can help them pay for college and their living expenses.

Inform your children about affordable alternatives. For example, your child may only think they should go to an expensive private university, but it’s important for you to inform them of more affordable alternatives, such as going to community college or a state university.

Help your child apply for scholarships.There are numerous scholarships that your child may qualify for. Some may require them to write essays, whereas others are based on high school grades. Most take very little effort and are given away by the college itself, which makes it a no brainer to apply for them!

Help your child in other ways. For some reason, there is this myth out there that helping your child go to college means you need to pay for everything. Instead of paying for their tuition, textbooks, food, dorm, car, and everything else, set limits. You might help by giving them emotional support, letting them stay in your home while they are in college, helping them find ways to save money for college, helping them cut their college expenses, and more.

So, should parents pay for college? And, do parents have to pay for college?

Back to the questions that began this blog post, I believe that parents should only fund their child’s college education if the parent is on track for retirement.

This is because there are multiple ways to pay for college (paying for it with cash, student loans, grants, scholarships, etc.), but there is only one way to fund your retirement.

Remember, you cannot take out a loan for your retirement!

Due to this, you should not wreck your retirement plans to help your children through college. You should analyze your financial situation and your track for retirement to see if helping your children through college is possible. If it’s not possible, be realistic with yourself and your child. And, as you’ve seen in this post, you can help them in many other ways.

What do you think? Should parents pay for college? What do you think of college loans for parents?

]]>http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/should-parents-pay-for-college-tuition.html/feed31http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/should-parents-pay-for-college-tuition.htmlThe Truth About Making Money Onlinehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MakingSenseOfCents/~3/dDwtB7v0iwE/truth-making-money-online.html
http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/truth-making-money-online.html#commentsMon, 28 Nov 2016 08:00:54 +0000http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/?p=28353Working online- it’s all supposed to be great, right? Okay, I won’t lie, for the most part it is great. However, there are some truths about making money online that I want to share today. With an online business, you can: Work from home Work while you travel Make a great income Help tons of […]

]]>Working online- it’s all supposed to be great, right? Okay, I won’t lie, for the most part it is great. However, there are some truths about making money online that I want to share today.

With an online business, you can:

Work from home

Work while you travel

Make a great income

Help tons of people, and more.

Many people like to think that owning your own business, making lots of money, and/or working online in a certain way means that you have expensive cars, only travel first class (or even have your own plane), and so on.

Due to this, I have had people tell me that there’s no way that my business is doing as well as it is, or that I’m making as much money as I am.

Well, let me tell you, that’s because running your own business and making money online isn’t always the way people make it seem.

I’m actually typing this blog post while sitting in front of a campfire at a free camp site. And, there’s a portable toilet right next to me.

Sure, there are all sorts of people out there living in many different ways, but here are my truths about making money online.

Also, I didn’t write today’s post to scare you. Instead, I want to motivate you to work harder so that you can become successful. I also want you to know that a lot of the things and feelings that have made you possibly want to quit your business are actually quite normal. You just have to keep pushing yourself!

Get rich quick schemes aren’t real.

Every month I show you my monthly blogging income reports. I don’t do this to make it seem easy. Instead, I want to show you how I make my business work for me, to show you tips for succeeding with your own business, and to show you the amount of work that goes into it.

Get rich quick schemes aren’t real, and there’s no real way to get rich quick without a ton of work.

I spent nearly a whole year on my blog and made just cents per hour if you added up all the time I put into it. Yes, it paid off in the end, but there were lots of very stressful moments and sleepless nights.

Blogging is a great way to make a living, but you definitely need to put the work into it. If you think you can put the work into it, then I definitely recommend you give it a try!

Making money online means that you can work 24/7.

The good thing about my business is that I absolutely love everything about it.

The bad thing about my business is that I absolutely love everything about it.

You’re probably wondering “How could that be a bad thing?”

It’s bad because it’s all online, which means that I can work ALL THE TIME. If I can work all the time and I love everything about it, it means that it’s often hard to break myself away from work.

While the work is great, it’s never healthy to work all the time. You need to enjoy other aspects of life as well, and take a mental break from work.

This is much easier said than done when you work online.

Since I can work wherever and whenever, I often forget to eat meals, to sleep enough hours, to spend time socializing with others, and more.

You’ll wear a lot of pajamas and workout clothes.

My most common outfit is a pair of workout shorts and a tank top. I hardly ever get dressed up. If I have to dress up for a video chat, I’m usually just wearing a nice top and still the workout shorts (since you can’t see those in a video).

Due to my usual outfits, people don’t tend to think I work online. I find that funny because everyone I know who works online has this same wardrobe!

This is probably the most unglamorous part of working online- you’ll forget how to dress properly and you won’t ever do your hair or makeup.

There’s no one way to earn money online.

With an online business, there’s a lot of trial and error. Online businesses are very new, and there’s no one calling the shots.

Because there’s no step-by-step guide that is telling you exactly what to do, everything is up to you. Things may happen faster or more slowly for you than for someone else who is running a company similar to yours.

Due to this, there’s no guarantee that you’ll make money, which is why I always recommend that you save a good percentage of your earnings even if you are making a great living. This is why we are saving around 80% to 90% of the income that we earn.

Some days you’ll feel on top of the world.

And other days you’ll feel down in the dumps.

Online businesses are funny like that. One day you may earn a lot of money, and the next week or two you may not even earn a penny.

Or, you may have a great idea, and then the very next day you may feel like you have absolutely no good ideas at all.

I want you to know that all business owners feel like this. Certain days you may feel helpless and hopeless, but you just have to push past this part and move on.

Everyone has bad days, but you can’t let that destroy you and your dream.

You don’t need technical experience to make money online.

I’m not a very technical person. I don’t test anything, I’m actually quite horrible with computers, and I don’t analyze statistics related to my business and how it’s doing.

This surprises many people, but it’s the truth. You don’t need to be a computer genius in order to work online.

Instead, you can learn what you need to know for your business, and hire out what you can’t seem to figure out. That’s exactly what I do. And no, it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to outsource the technical tasks.

You’ll need another motivator.

Working online is great and it earns me a great deal of money each month. But, I recommend that you find more than just that to motivate you.

Sure, there are many people who are running businesses and their only motivator is money.

However, any business is difficult to run, and having another motivator will help you become more passionate about what you are doing. In turn, you are more likely to be successful!

I recommend having some other motivator, such as the desire to travel, stay at home with your children, help others, writing about your passion, and so on.

You may be lonely at times.

Working online is great, but it can be lonely at times. This is because you are often separated from the rest of the world.

The “average” person works with others. However, when working online it is usually just you.

That being said, I’ve never felt lonely. My last job as a financial analyst was much lonelier than my current business setup, as I had absolutely no one to talk to at that day job.

Now, I can talk to plenty of people online – other online business owners as well as my readers.

But, if you are feeling lonely, there are ways to get around this. I highly recommend going to conferences, paying for a co-working space, going to meetups with others in your industry, and so on.

You may be able to live your dream life.

Five years ago, I started my blog Making Sense of Cents. In that time, it has grown to receive hundreds of thousands of monthly visitors as well as a $100,000 monthly income.

Making Sense of Cents has allowed me and my little family to live our dream life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I didn’t write today’s post to scare you, instead I wrote it to motivate you to work harder so that you can become successful.

Working online is not a get rich quick scheme, and there are no guarantees that you’ll make it full-time.

However, with your online business, you may be able to live your dream life. I’m not going to say “You WILL live your dream life” because you may realize that running an online business is not right for you.

But, you may realize that it is perfect for you. I wish you the best of luck and I hope you reach your dreams!

What truth about making money online do you relate to? What don’t you believe?

]]>http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/truth-making-money-online.html/feed64http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/truth-making-money-online.html13 Retail Store Tricks That May Be Causing You To Spend More Moneyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MakingSenseOfCents/~3/jGW0rlU-Bfc/retail-store-tricks-sales-tips.html
http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/retail-store-tricks-sales-tips.html#commentsWed, 23 Nov 2016 08:00:25 +0000http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/?p=28319With the biggest shopping season of the year beginning in just a couple of days, it seemed like the perfect time to talk about store tricks and retail sales tips. However, no matter what time of the year it is, knowing the various retail sales tricks can help you keep more money in your pocket. […]

]]>With the biggest shopping season of the year beginning in just a couple of days, it seemed like the perfect time to talk about store tricks and retail sales tips. However, no matter what time of the year it is, knowing the various retail sales tricks can help you keep more money in your pocket.

And, the retail sales tricks talked about in today’s blog post are done throughout the year.

I’m not talking about scams or anything like that.

But it is true that retail stores, online retailers, and many other companies tend to use tricks to get you to spend more money in order to boost their revenues.

Companies may engage in these retail store tricks to get you to:

Buy more of their product(s).

To make their item(s) seem like a better deal.

While even the smallest advertisement, placement, pricing, and so on may seem insignificant to you, companies know what they are doing. They have done thousands of hours of market research in order to make more money, and they know what works.

These are businesses after all, and their goal is to make money.

But, my business is all about teaching you how to keep more money in your pocket So, today’s post will explain various retail tricks as well as my tips to avoid falling for them.

Pricing games

Showing different prices for virtually the same product can encourage you to buy one product over another. And, it’s not always about whether a product is priced the cheapest.

Some of the pricing games and retail selling techniques that a retailer may use include:

Anchor pricing – This is when it says that a product costs $100, but then you find an almost equal item next to it for $50. You are much more likely to buy the $50 item, and this is a common retail store trick. Retail stores like to do this because it makes the $50 item look like a great deal, when in reality it is actually not.

Cents make a difference – A price like $9.99 may seem much more appealing than one priced at $10. It’s only one cent, but the retail stores know this trick well.

Is the price written out? – When the price of an item is written out, such as Ten Dollars, people are likely to spend more money on the item.

10 for $10 – Many grocery stores and retail stores have this offer. This causes people to buy multiples of the same product because they believe that this is the only way they can get a good deal. However, for the most part, you can purchase just one and it will still just be $1. You should always read the fine print.

My retail sales tips for these is to always make sure that the item is actually a deal, and that you aren’t buying an item because of some perceived value. Always make sure that you actually need the item and be mindful of the different pricing games that may be influencing your purchases.

Tax free sale days

Back to school time is just one time of the year that means tax free sale days, but in order to get more customers in the door, some stores also offer random sales tax free days throughout the year.

Surprisingly, when I worked in retail, these were always the best days for revenue. Even though the sales tax was only around a 7-8% discount, our store was always way busier than days in which we gave 20% off discounts.

I guess it was the fact that people thought they were sticking it to the man? Haha, I don’t know!

Either way, my tip is that you should always try to take the largest discount!

Sale bins at the check out

Check out lanes are always full of items, and this is because retailers are hoping that you’ll think you need something at the last minute.

Retailers will also add sale bins near the check out lanes for the same reason. They are assuming you will be in a rush and won’t have enough time to think about whether you truly need the sale item or not, plus they hope that you’ll just say yes to it because you don’t want to hold up the line.

You should only look into a sale bin if you actually need an item.

Sale bins can cause many people, even the most frugal people, to spend money because they think they are getting a great deal.

Free food samples

Whether you are shopping at a grocery store or at the mall, free food samples usually cause a person to spend more money.

This is especially true at grocery stores because a little bit of food can make you shop hungry- which then makes you spend more money. Plus, you may be very likely to purchase the item you just tried, either because you liked the item or because you don’t want to offend the person who spent their time making the food.

What you need is far away

Why is it that the items you need the most are usually the farthest away? Items such as milk, eggs, and bread are usually the farthest away, and sometimes they are even far apart. These are very common grocery items, so wouldn’t you think that they would be closer together?

Nope!

This retail store trick is common at grocery stores.

This is because by placing them far away from you and far apart, you are then more likely to shop in the other aisles and spend more money.

Free trials

Free trials are great because you can test an item before paying for it.

However, stores realize that by offering you a free trial, you may be more likely to purchase the item in full, especially if you lose the item. They may then gain a customer for life just by simply offering one cheap free trial.

My retail sales tip for this is to make sure that you are actually interested in the product. If you aren’t interested in it after the free trial, you should always make sure that you aren’t going to be charged for the item in the future.

BIG shopping carts and a lack of baskets

Due to traveling full-time, we visit a lot of different stores and chains. One thing I’ve noticed recently is that a lot of stores no longer have baskets.

I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that offering baskets usually means that you’ll buy less stuff. I know this is true for me- I usually pick up a basket so that I am forced to stick to my list. After all, there are only so many things that I can realistically carry before it feels like my arms will fall off!

Stores are also moving towards larger shopping carts. This is because it’ll seem like you aren’t buying that many things when your cart looks empty. Plus, with a larger shopping cart, you are able to carry more things.

My top retail sales tip for this instance is to always stick to your list. And, if they have a basket and you think everything will fit in a basket, try to stick with just that!

The most expensive items are usually at eye level

The most expensive items on a shelf are usually right at eye level. This is because it’s what you see first. Usually the least profitable items and the ones that are the cheapest are on the very bottom shelf.

Due to this, my tip is that you should always look at all of the shelves to make sure that you’re receiving the best deal.

Free shipping with $XX purchase

Many online retailers will offer free shipping, or even a free item, if you spend over a certain dollar amount. Retailers aren’t dumb, though, and they definitely aren’t losing out on money by giving things away. Retailers know that a person is much more likely to spend money if they think they are getting something for free.

Also, if a person is right below the free shipping requirement, they may end up spending a lot of money in order to get the free shipping. This is because their purchase, in their eyes, looks to be like a better value.

Mixing up the store layout

Have you ever been to a store and been a tad angry because they completely changed the layout on you, and now you don’t know where anything is?

Well, stores do this on purpose.

By changing up the aisles and layout, a person then has to search harder for what they want. Meaning you may then come across items that you didn’t know they had, and items you didn’t know you needed. This gives the retail store more of an opportunity to sell you things.

What other retail store tricks do you know of? What retail sales tips do you have to share?

]]>http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/retail-store-tricks-sales-tips.html/feed27http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/retail-store-tricks-sales-tips.htmlYes, Personal Finance Should Be Taught In Schoolhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MakingSenseOfCents/~3/Nqw7u8tHXiA/personal-finance-education-school.html
http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/personal-finance-education-school.html#commentsMon, 21 Nov 2016 08:00:40 +0000http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/?p=28306While I can’t guarantee that I would have paid super close attention to a personal finance education class if I had taken it, I’m sure it would have been a better use of my time than some of the other classes that were required when I was in school. Note: Yes, I use the Pythagorean […]

]]>While I can’t guarantee that I would have paid super close attention to a personal finance education class if I had taken it, I’m sure it would have been a better use of my time than some of the other classes that were required when I was in school.

Note: Yes, I use the Pythagorean theorem all the time in my day to day life… Just kidding!

Don’t get me wrong, what is currently taught in school is great and all, but adding personal finance into the curriculum would be a great way to give kids a good foundation that could impact their lives well into the future. While many people leave school not really remembering everything, just a background of personal finance could greatly improve a person’s life.

Personal finance was not a required class when I was in high school, but I sure wish it was. Now, more schools are starting to make personal finance education a required class, but I believe this needs to be a requirement for every student, as personal finance can greatly shape and change your life.

After all, the majority of people don’t even have a basic understanding of personal finance and/or their financial situation. While there are many great classes that are required in school, I believe that personal finance should be equally important.

I believe that if there was more of a focus on personal finance education, then more people would be doing better financially.

But shouldn’t parents teach their kids personal finance education?

This is one of the leading things I hear about NOT offering or requiring a personal finance class. However, I don’t agree with it.

Considering that many people, both young and old, are already bad with money, are they really the best teachers for their children?

Plus, not everyone has a family that is able to teach them. These children shouldn’t just be left in the cold.

If school is really meant to prepare the next generation for the real world, requiring personal finance education only makes sense!

With all of that said, today’s post will include the most important personal finance topics that should be taught. Whether in school or not, these are things that everyone should know.

How credit cards and loans work.

Many people do not truly understand credit cards and loans, and this is why there are so many credit card and loan myths floating around.

Credit card myths I’ve heard include:

You have plenty of time to pay off debt, so you should only pay the minimum payment. FALSE! The truth is that you should pay more than the minimum payment if you have an interest rate because it will add up quickly!

You have to pay the interest rate on a credit card, no matter what. FALSE! The truth is that if you pay your balance in full each month, then you don’t have to pay credit card interest. So, you should definitely pay it off each month!

Credit cards are another form of income. FALSE! The truth is that if you treat your credit card as income, then you’ll most likely fall into a lot of credit card debt.

You should carry a balance on a credit card because it helps your credit score. FALSE! There are so many ways to improve your credit score, so you should not be paying interest just to do so. I have a credit score of over 800 and I’ve never once carried a balance on a credit card.

By knowing these things, a person may be less likely to have debt because they won’t be falling for any ridiculous myths. Being well informed on how credit cards work is one of the best ways to make sure you don’t fall into credit card debt, and there are so many people that fall into credit card debt early on because they were never taught how to use them properly.

How to write a check.

Surprisingly, many people have no clue how to write a check. While writing a check isn’t as needed in today’s world, there are still moments when knowing how to write a check would be extremely beneficial.

Situations in which you may need to write a check include:

Some companies will charge an extra fee if you pay by credit card. This may apply to payments for tuition, tax payments, deposits, and so on. In these cases, writing a check can actually save you money!

When giving a gift to someone.

When RVing. If you RV, there are many times in which the campground will only take cash or check. Writing checks can make it much easier to travel because you may not always be near an ATM.

How to manage a budget.

I believe that everyone needs some form of budget- whether that means writing down exactly what you are spending or just being mindful of your spending.

While budgets may not be glamorous, everyone should know how to properly create and manage one.

Different things work for different people, but the key things to know are:

How much money you’re bringing in.

How much you’re spending.

Whether or not you are being wasteful.

Knowing how to manage a budget, even at a young age, is important because a budget can keep you mindful of your income and expenses. By having a budget, a person knows exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with, what spending areas they need to work on, and so on.

A budget can help you to reach your goals, pay off debt, make more money, retire, reach financial freedom, and more.

The importance of an emergency fund.

Younger people like to think that they are invincible. We’ve all been young and know this feeling. Many young people may not think that they need an emergency fund, but pretty much everyone needs one eventually.

An emergency fund is something I believe everyone should have. However, 26% of Americans have no emergency fund whatsoever.

Emergency funds are important because:

An emergency fund can help you if you lose your job. No matter how stable you think your job is, there is always a chance that something could happen where you may need money fast. What would you do if you lost your job and didn’t have an emergency fund?

An emergency fund is wise if you do not have great health insurance. This is another reason why we have a well-funded emergency fund. We do not have the greatest health insurance- our deductible is over $12,000 annually. Having an emergency fund can help protect us if something were to happen.

An emergency fund is a good idea if you have a car. You just never know when it will need a repair.

An emergency fund is a need if you own a home. One of the lucky things that homeowners often get to deal with is an unexpected home repair. Having an emergency fund can help you if your basement floods, if a hole forms in your roof, and more.

Emergency funds are always good to have because they can give you peace of mind if anything costly were to happen in your life. Instead of building onto your stress you will know you can afford to pay your bills and worry about other important events that may be currently happening in your life. I think there are many people that wish they could have been taught the importance of an emergency fund early on. Emergencies don’t just happen to those with families and full-time jobs. They are a must for all!

The steps to invest.

The last of the extremely important personal finance lessons that I believe should be taught in school includes how to invest your money.

You want to invest so that you can:

Retire one day.

Prepare for the future.

Allow your money to grow over time.

Many people are afraid to invest their money, and I believe it’s because they were never once taught or told about how important it is to invest. Many people probably don’t even know how to take the first step to investing their money.

If people are never taught those two very basic things, then they may never invest!

Investing is important because it means you are making your money work for you. If you weren’t investing, your money would just be sitting there and not earning a thing.

This is important to note because $100 today will not be worth $100 in the future if you just let it sit under a mattress or in a checking account. However, if you invest, then you can actually turn your $100 into something more.

For example: If you put $1,000 into a retirement account that has an annual 8% return, 40 years later that would turn into $21,724. If you started with that same $1,000 and put an extra $1,000 in it for the next 40 years at an annual 8% return, that would then turn into $301,505. If you started with $10,000 and put an extra $10,000 in it for the next 40 years at an annual 8% return, that would then turn into $3,015,055.

]]>http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/personal-finance-education-school.html/feed60http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/personal-finance-education-school.htmlHow Working 4 Jobs At Once Has Changed My Lifehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MakingSenseOfCents/~3/khpi4poWdrE/working-4-jobs-changed-life.html
http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/working-4-jobs-changed-life.html#commentsFri, 18 Nov 2016 08:30:22 +0000http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/?p=27842Hello! Today, I have a great post written by my friend Lindsey from And the Kitchen Sink. She has paid off nearly $20,000 of debt in just one year and is determined to become financially independent. Working multiple jobs at once can be tiring, but it can also be well worth it. When I walked across […]

]]>Hello! Today, I have a great post written by my friend Lindsey from And the Kitchen Sink. She has paid off nearly $20,000 of debt in just one year and is determined to become financially independent. Working multiple jobs at once can be tiring, but it can also be well worth it.

When I walked across the stage of my college graduation ceremony, the thought of working four jobs never crossed my mind. I walked across that stage with no student loan debt, so I was going to start my post-grad life debt free. It’s been a little over a year since my graduation. While we’re not buried in debt, we are in the process of paying off a new-to-us car.

I got a full-time salaried job right out of college writing proposals for a big company. Not even a month into my job, I realized how much I hated working for big corporations.

I felt like I never had enough to do, and this job went completely against some of the very core things I believed in. I went to college to become a journalist so I could spread the truth and tell other people’s stories, not write false or glorified lies for other companies to read.

I knew I couldn’t be picky about my job.

Despite the hatred for my job, I had no real world experience and we were in no position to be picky about where our paychecks came from. I felt depressed and conflicted every time I had to get up and go to work. I wanted a way to be creative, without losing my paycheck.

It was in this desperation for a creative outlet that And the Kitchen Sink was born.

I had seen so many blogs and read so many stories of men and women being able to walk away from their full-time jobs in pursuit of a blogging career. I was inspired to reach that same goal and decided to start my own blog. I had no idea what I was going to write about, but I knew I needed a place where it was okay to be creative.

Over the past year, I have learned to live a more frugal life, and it has brought me so much joy. We CHOSE to be frugal, and it has been a decision that changed our lives for the better. And the Kitchen Sink became the place where I shared those stories. I wanted to share my failures and successes in hopes that I could help others on their frugal journeys. There is a stigma around frugality that it’s something only poor people embrace, or that you can’t have any fun. I used to be one of those people, and I used to believe that money was the secret to happiness. Frugality is a choice. For some, the choice is out of necessity. For others, frugality is a decision to live a simpler life.

My blog became my first “side hustle” and one I’m so glad I started. I spend about 20-30 hours a week working on my blog. This ranges from creating new posts, social media management, promotion, and even working with my graphic designer to create awesome printables. There are expenses in running this side hustle, which ended up coming out of our monthly budget. We knew our budget could handle my side hustle until I made enough to cover my expenses, and eventually be able to quit my full-time job to blog full-time.

After living together for about 6 months, we decided to stay in our little one bedroom apartment for another year to save money and build up our savings. This was a great plan, until our renewal rates came in the mail. If we decided to stay in our current apartment we would have to pay an extra $100 a month, just for staying where we were, with no added benefits! We tried to talk to the property manager, but she would not lower the renewal rate.

We hadn’t planned on making a move, and had only two months to find the finances AND find a new home. Less than a month before we had to be out of our old place, we found the perfect apartment! No unnecessary add-ons to our rent, and even no pet rent! While it would add some time to our respective commutes to work, there was really not much of a downside to this place. The only problem was that our old apartment came with a washer and dryer, where this one did not. We were then faced with the task of finding a set for our new place. I know this sounds like such a small problem, but we had not really prepared for this move AT ALL. Our budget was certainly not prepared for a washer and dryer.

We decided the best thing for us was to charge the washer and dryer to our credit card, and use my tax return to pay it off when it arrived. A month after filing my taxes, I received a notice from the IRS stating that they needed additional information to complete my tax return. Which meant we had no idea when I would get my tax return.

In the chaos of purchasing a washer and dryer, my second side hustle was born. I hated the idea of accumulating debt, and I wanted to be debt free as soon as possible. So, I got a job working as a staff writer for a wonderful blogger to help pay off our washer and dryer debt. As a staff writer, my job was to write the articles, and to find and edit good stock photos to go with them. Total, I spend about 10 hours per month staff writing.

My tax return ended up coming, and we were able to use the money to pay off our washer and dryer debt without accruing any interest on our credit card, just as we planned! I decided to keep my staff writing job, and invest the money directly in my blog.

I loved writing articles for other bloggers, so I began freelancing as well. This would become my third side hustle. Typically, I’ll spend anywhere from 2-3 hours on a freelance job depending on the article. I’ll usually take 2 or 3 freelance jobs a month. My freelance jobs help fund my blogging business, and also helps us fill in the gaps of our budget.

We’ve used the money made from my side hustles to pay off debt, keep ourselves from going over budget, and even save up for vacations. I’ve been side hustling for nearly 8 months now, and I don’t think I’ll quit any of them anytime soon. While the money is great, and it gives me a creative outlet, it also takes up A LOT of time. All my jobs combined average to be around 60 hours a week, or roughly 240 hours a month!

I’m able to work on my side hustles during downtime at my full-time job, and some are even completed in a single day. I use my weekends as my time off, and will usually only spend about an hour or two working on my blog. While I certainly wouldn’t recommend working four jobs to anyone, there are quite a few perks to it.

1. There is an outlet for my built up creativity

If you’ve never worked in a corporate environment before, let me tell you something. Anything you write is regulated very strictly. I’m lucky if I do any original writing at all. My side hustles gave me a place to not only share my experiences, but also let me write freely.

I’ve always felt the need to write, and my job was not fulfilling this part of my life, despite being a “writing” job.

Before I started my blog, I felt empty and unsatisfied with my work. I felt that I was not fulfilling my purpose and that there was something greater that I was meant to do.

2. Extra money never hurt anyone

If it wasn’t for the paycheck, I would never work a day in my life.

I would focus on the things I was truly passionate about, and that would be the end of it. Unfortunately, you can’t pay the bills with passion. Side hustles are a great way to earn extra money. If you are paying off debt, constantly going over budget, or looking to build your savings, I would recommend picking up a side hustle.

On our upcoming cruise, I was able to use the money I made from my side hustles alone to fund a shore excursion. It cost us nothing extra (this was un-budgeted, unplanned money) and I had fun earning it.

3. I learned what I like

In my college years, I remember taking a variety of different internships to find out what I actually liked doing, in hopes of finding a career path.

My side hustles have done the same thing for me in my post-college life.

Through different projects and assignments, I’ve learned what I like to write about and what topics interest me. There are a multitude of articles out there on just about everything you could think of, and researching for my writing has allowed me to learn a lot these past few months. I found I was interested in topics I had once dismissed years ago.

These side jobs make me happy and bring fulfillment to my life. Even just a year ago, I never imagined myself working four jobs. But then, who does? If you’re on the fence about starting a side hustle, I say go for it. Who knows, it just might change your life for the better.

About the Author: Lindsey is a born and raised southern girl from North Carolina who made the transition from big spender to frugal by choice. She is dedicated to living a more meaningful life by focusing less on money and possessions and more on experiences. Lindsey writes about ways the average person can live a frugal lifestyle and all of the benefits that come with it. Lindsey believes you don’t have to be poor to be frugal, and that anyone can benefit from a frugal lifestyle. Check out her blog at www.andthekitchensink.net.

]]>http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/working-4-jobs-changed-life.html/feed25http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/working-4-jobs-changed-life.htmlAre You Going To Spend Over $1,000 This Holiday Season?http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MakingSenseOfCents/~3/cvsvfpkJrm0/holiday-savings-season.html
http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/holiday-savings-season.html#commentsWed, 16 Nov 2016 08:45:46 +0000http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/?p=28185The average person spends around $900 on gifts for the holiday season, according to American Research Group. That amount doesn’t even account for other holiday spending, such as travel costs, food, get togethers, decorations, and more. Some people even go into credit card debt to spend for the holidays, but is that really worth it? […]

]]>The average person spends around $900 on gifts for the holiday season, according to American Research Group. That amount doesn’t even account for other holiday spending, such as travel costs, food, get togethers, decorations, and more.

Some people even go into credit card debt to spend for the holidays, but is that really worth it?

I’m going to guess not.

Putting your holiday spending on a credit card is a major problem because you will eventually have to pay off that debt.

Plus, interest and other finance charges may be added, meaning that small amount you put on your credit card will grow into a much bigger number. This can then impact your credit score, your credit history, your debt to income ratio, and more.

Going into debt for gifts and holiday events just adds stress, and it takes away from the true meaning of the holiday season.

The holidays can be quite expensive, but they don’t have to be if you are mindful of how you spend and save for the holidays.

Below are my tips on how to increase your holiday savings and not go into debt.

Set a budget.

Before you make a list of all the things you want to buy for the holidays, you should set a realistic holiday budget. This will help you analyze your holiday spending so that you can spend less money and not go into any holiday debt.

I recommend seeing how much money you already have set aside for the holidays, analyze how much you think you will spend, and figure out what you need to do so that you don’t go over your spending budget.

Items you’ll want to think about and possibly include in your holiday budget are:

Gifts

Transportation costs

Food for parties and get togethers

Stamps

Holiday cards

Wrapping supplies

Decorations

Use cash when shopping.

Similar to a no spend challenge, using only cash when shopping can prevent impulse purchases.

A cash budget works because you only have so much money to work with. If you spend all of your cash, then you won’t be able to purchase anything else.

This can help you separate your “wants” from your “needs” when shopping.

When doing your holiday shopping with cash, you will have to carefully plan out each purchase, each time you go to the store, and so on.

Give just one gift.

If you’re running low on time or money, you may just want to give one gift to each person. I know some people who are giving numerous gifts around the holidays, and while they may be able to afford it, I’m sure there are some who cannot.

Remember, the holidays are not about the gifts. Instead, focus on what you truly can afford, even if that means you can only give one present. It’s the thought that counts, not the gift or the amount of gifts that you give!

Get cash back on your shopping.

Sign up for a website like Ebates where you can earn CASH BACK for spending how you normally would online. The service is free too!

Find ways to cut back right now.

There are lots of little things you can do that may help you to save money now and well into the future. Even if you can only find $100 extra dollars to spend, that’s still $100 more than what you had before.

You can:

Get rid of your cable.

Find a more affordable cell phone plan.

Eat out less. Eat out just one or two times less this month and then you’ll have more holiday spending money!

Secret Santa is your friend.

If part of your holiday celebration is gift giving with all of your family and friends, you may want to think about doing a gift exchange where each person only gives one meaningful gift to just one person. This can save a lot of money, as well as a lot of time. Plus, you’ll be able to put more thought into a gift as you’ll just be giving one.

This is something that we do with my husband’s family. The younger children still get gifts from everyone, but all of the adults just do an exchange. It makes it much easier and more enjoyable!

Find ways to make additional holiday spending cash.

If you can’t find ways to cut back, then you may want to find ways to make more money. This can make the holiday season a little more enjoyable as you won’t have to go into debt or use your savings in order to purchase holiday gifts.

Plus, there are tons of things you could do to make extra money. If you’re looking for a part-time job, there are plenty of places that are looking for holiday help, such as UPS, Kohls, Macy’s, Christmas tree lots, restaurants, and more.

Use Swagbucks for your online searches.Swagbucks is something I don’t use as much, but I do occasionally earn Amazon gift cards with very little work. Swagbucks is just like using Google to do your online searches, except you get rewarded “points called SB” for the things you do through their website. Then, when you have enough points, you can redeem them for cash, gift cards, and more. You’ll receive a free $5 bonus just for signing up today!

Shop for the holidays as soon as you can.

Starting your holiday shopping now is better than waiting until the last day- or even the day of!

There are many savvy shoppers who start up to a full year before the holiday they are celebrating.

You may call them crazy, but I’m sure it saves them a lot of stress and money.

The earlier you start shopping, the more money you are likely to save. This is because you won’t be in a rush to find what you are hoping to buy, and you will be able to shop the sales as they come. When someone is low on time, they are more likely to buy items they may not need at a price that is higher than usual.

Related tip: I highly recommend signing up for a FREE 30 day Amazon Prime account, as this can really help you save money when it comes to holiday shopping. This free 30 day account gives you unlimited FREE two-day shipping, you can borrow Kindle books, watch movies and TV episodes, and more.

Start saving early.

While this tip won’t necessarily work for this holiday season, you can start saving and preparing for 2017.

By saving a little bit of money each day, each week, or even each month right now, you’ll make the sting of holiday season spending a little less painful, as you’ll already have saved and budgeted for it!

]]>http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/holiday-savings-season.html/feed30http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/holiday-savings-season.htmlWhy Paying For A Storage Unit Is A Waste of Moneyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MakingSenseOfCents/~3/uBsr-U-9ui8/paying-storage-unit-cost-waste-money.html
http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/paying-storage-unit-cost-waste-money.html#commentsMon, 14 Nov 2016 08:45:24 +0000http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/?p=28176The average home size in 1950 was less than 1,000 square feet. Fast forward to now, the average home size has increased to around 2,600 square feet, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Despite that, according to SpareFoot, nearly 10% of households also rent a self-storage unit. That is a lot of storage units! Just […]

]]>The average home size in 1950 was less than 1,000 square feet. Fast forward to now, the average home size has increased to around 2,600 square feet, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Despite that, according to SpareFoot, nearly 10% of households also rent a self-storage unit.

That is a lot of storage units!

Just over a year ago, in July 2016, we cleared out our storage unit. We were paying $185 a month for a small storage unit, mainly for photo albums and childhood items.

We only had the storage unit for around 6 months, but in that small amount of time we had already spent $1,110 in storage unit costs.

That’s just an unbelievable amount of money to spend on things that we knew we weren’t going to need or use for at least several years.

The storage unit wasn’t completely horrible, but there were some negatives:

It seemed wasteful to spend $185 a month to store things that we don’t use.

When we got the storage unit, I had to sign a paper that said we wouldn’t store photo albums in there. In fact, I found out that this was normal. This felt like I was jinxing myself, and I was afraid that something would happen to the hundreds of photos albums that my dad left for me after he passed away.

The storage unit was in an odd location. We put everything from our last house into storage. However, that was in a town where we knew nobody, and we knew that we wouldn’t be going back too often.

So, we rented a moving truck and had everything moved to Wes’s parents’ attic. Don’t worry, they lucked out as well. We gave them all of the expensive, new furniture that we had stupidly bought right before we fell in love with RV life, haha. So, all we really have stored there are photo albums and childhood mementos.

Sure, there are legitimately good reasons to have a storage unit, such as if you are in-between homes, but for the most part, the average person is wasting money by having a storage unit.

Yes, it is possible to downsize, and I know this because I currently live in an RV with much less storage room than a “normal” house.

You don’t need all of that stuff.

According to professional organizer Regina Lark, the average U.S. household has 300,000 things.

Yes, 300,000!

Sounds crazy, but it really adds up quickly. Think about all of the plates, silverware, clothing, and everything else you own.

Also, according to Lark, U.S. children make up less than 4% of the children on the planet but have 47% of all toys and children’s books.

That is just crazy.

Given that the average home size has nearly tripled over the past few decades to 2,600 square feet, I really don’t know how people still have more stuff to store than what alreadys fits in their home.

You really do not need all of that stuff in your house.

You’ll probably never use the things you’re storing.

When many people put their belongings into a storage unit, most of the time they don’t even step foot in there again until they get rid of the unit.

This may be years and years down the line.

I’ve heard of people who forget about paying for their storage units, and after decades of not returning, the storage unit facility then auctions off their belongings. You stored it for decades, never stepped foot into it, and then forgot about all of your stuff?

That is a huge waste of money.

If you’re storing your belongings, there is a big chance that you’ll never use those items. After all, they are out of sight and out of reach, so how often will you actually use them?

Many people store things that they don’t even want.

Surprisingly, many people store things they know they don’t need or want.

So, why are you storing these things and paying for them!?

A storage unit costs anywhere from around $50 to $200 a month, and this is for a non-climate controlled unit. If you want it to be climate controlled, you’ll pay significantly more to store your items.

It’s probably not worth it to store whatever you’re storing.

If you’re spending $100 a month storing things you don’t even want, you should think about how much it’s costing you in the long run.

Even if $100 doesn’t seem like much, that’s $6,000 over a 5 year period.

Is your stuff worth $6,000?

Even if you’re just storing it for one year, is your stuff worth $1,200?

By storing stuff, you’re likely to buy even more.

Instead of just making due with the items and space that you already have, a storage unit can actually cause you to spend more money. This is because you will be hoarding more and more things, and then you’ll just continue to put things in your storage unit because you have that extra space.

Well, that’s a huge waste of money.

Instead, you should make due with the space that you already have, and really think about every purchase you are considering.

You have time to donate or sell your stuff.

Some people have a storage unit because they think they don’t have enough time to donate, sell, or otherwise get rid of the stuff that they want to store.

Well, with the amount of time it will take to bring your items to storage, you could probably just get rid of them.

Plus, someone else may find a great deal of value in your stuff and/or you may help someone in need!

Do you have a storage unit? Why or why not? How much does your storage unit cost?

]]>http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/paying-storage-unit-cost-waste-money.html/feed53http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/paying-storage-unit-cost-waste-money.htmlMy October 2016 Blog Income Report – $99,607.18http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MakingSenseOfCents/~3/MmGD3Vm9oy0/october-2016-blog-income-report.html
http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/october-2016-blog-income-report.html#commentsWed, 09 Nov 2016 08:45:02 +0000http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/?p=28735Welcome to October’s online income report where I show you how I made money online last month. It’s time to look at this month’s update and see how I did. If you’re new to Making Sense of Cents, you may be wondering why I would want to publish my income report each month. You can simply skip to the next section if […]

]]>Welcome to October’s online income report where I show you how I made money online last month. It’s time to look at this month’s update and see how I did.

If you’re new to Making Sense of Cents, you may be wondering why I would want to publish my income report each month. You can simply skip to the next section if you’re not new here.

This all started out as my extra income report because in the beginning, it was all about the money I was earning from my side jobs. In my side income reports from the beginning, I included all of the income I made except for what I made at my day job.

However, I left my day job as a financial analyst in October of 2013 and now my monthly income reports consist of the many ways I earn a living.

Many have asked why I would ever want to publicly post my income each month. Some think I’m crazy, whereas some are glad I’m open about what I’m doing. Whatever you think, I enjoy publishing my monthly online income reports and I share them publicly for three main reasons:

Before I started blogging, I knew nothing about side hustling and making money online. I didn’t think side jobs were worth the effort and I thought the only way to significantly increase your income was through raises at your full-time job. If it weren’t for others publishing their monthly income reports, I don’t know if I would have ever tried side hustling. I want to help show others the positives in side hustling and how it can change a person’s life. There are many different ways to make money online, and I like to share my story each month to help motivate others to improve their financial situation by making more money.

Secondly, I like to publish my income reports because it’s a way for me to look back, learn from my mistakes and actually see what areas need improvement. I use my monthly income reports as a way to track how I’ve done and I treat it sort of like a journal.

Lastly, I like to show others that making side money is possible and that there are many legitimate ways to make money from your home. If you are looking for information on the many ways to make money online, I published the article Monthly Income Report Roundup that showcases many successful bloggers who are kind enough to share their income with the public each month.

I know I say this every month, but it’s the truth. Life is great now that I’m my own boss and a full-time blogger. I look forward to each and every day and it’s a wonderful feeling. I truly love waking up every single morning.

Above are just a few of the reasons for why I enjoy publishing my monthly income reports. I like to show others that you don’t have to hate your job and hate your life. You can make changes to your life and make money in a way that allows you to truly enjoy the life you are living. I’m not saying that you have to LOVE your job, I’m just saying that your job should, at least, allow you to do what you like to do outside of work (whether that be spending time with loved ones, painting, hiking, etc.).

How was my business income in October?

I earned $99,607.18 blogging and online in October, before expenses.

October was another great month. It was great on all fronts – blogging, course-wise, life, and everything else. Due to how far ahead I am with my posting schedule, I was able to relax a little more and focus more time on other things on my to-do list, such as learning more about SEO.

October of 2016 also marked three years since I left my day job. It’s crazy to think that I’ve been self-employed and a full-time blogger for that long!

In the past three years, life has changed dramatically:

My income is around six figures per month.

We travel full-time in an RV with our dogs – being location independent and a digital nomad is amazing!

I have a much better work-life balance.

The past three years have been amazing, and while self-employment may not be for everyone, I definitely know that it’s for me. If you have an interest in being your own boss, I recommend seeing what you can do in order to make that interest a reality!

My Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course is still going very well and sales continue to come in. I think a lot of this has to do with all of the amazing reviews that I’m hearing about my course such as:

One blogger went from $87 a month in affiliate income before taking the course, to over $1,700 a month after!

One blogger received their first affiliate sale just two days after taking the course (and they were a brand new blogger too!).

Another blogger doubled their monthly affiliate income from $2,500 to $5,000.

Plus, I’ve heard many other great reviews.

If you’re a blogger, I recommend checking out my blogging course, Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing. I share my exact strategy and tips in this very informative online course. If you’re a blogger, then you need to check out this course.

Anyway, my business is growing, income is increasing significantly, I have tons of awesome ideas for the rest of 2016 and 2017, and I am just extremely excited about everything. I really love my business and I don’t know where I would be without it.

The business is doing well and I’m very happy with it. I’ve been catching myself saying “Life is really good” a LOT lately. And, I mean it. Life is really good.

If you are interested in starting a blog of your own, I created a tutorial that will help you start a blog of your own for cheap, starting at only $2.95 per month (this low price is only through my link) for blog hosting. In addition to the low pricing, you will receive a free website domain (a $15 value) through my Bluehost link if you purchase, at least, 12 months of blog hosting. FYI, if you are asking yourself “can you make money blogging?” – my top tip is to be self-hosted. This is essential if you want to monetize your blog as you will appear more professional and this will help you monetize your blog tremendously. My blogging income did not take off until after I switched to self-hosted WordPress.

This graphic only goes back to 2015. You can find all of my income reports here.

The income amount above is for the month of October and before any fees or expenses (some fees and expenses that lower the amount above total around $3,500 (rounded up), which include virtual assistants, Teachable course platform fee, technical assistance, newsletter expenses, PayPal fees, Stripe fees, etc., however, this does not include taxes) being taken out. I also had expenses for the affiliates promoting my course, which totaled $8,749.40. After expenses and fees, I made approximately $87,358.

Please keep in mind that I work for myself when you read my monthly income report. This means I have to cover taxes (which are over 30%), health insurance, and all other benefits/expenses that an employer may provide.

Below are some of my other monthly online income reports. I publish an online income update every month but only included some of them below as it would be a very long list. If you head on over to my income page you can find all of my monthly income reports from the past few years.

Comparisons and 2016 online income total:

Blog news

Making Sense of Cents is doing very well and I’m happy with everything.

I’m still around two months ahead when it comes to blog posts. I’m still focusing time on the SEO mastermind that I’m in. It’s going very well so far and there is around one month left of it. Some of you have expressed interest in knowing what we are doing. What we are doing is that we are going through the two courses below together, as well as taking an instructor-led course once a week by the same authors of the two courses. So, in total, we are taking three courses together (including the two below):

The other thing I hope to focus on in November is to guest post. I’ve only guest posted a handful of times since I started blogging back in 2011, and I would like to start doing that more in order to get the Making Sense of Cents name out to more people.

Overall, traffic remained around the same and I received around 400,000 page views. Pinterest traffic dropped dramatically last month due to different Pinterest changes, but organic and Facebook traffic each increased significantly.

Even though page views are down, income is at a great level. This is why I always say that blog income is not 100% dependent on page views. I will be honest, though, I do hope that page views increase in the near future. I believe that they will eventually, but this is a great reason to learn how to diversify my traffic as well as increase my email list.

Below are several blog-related updates:

I’m currently trying out Haute Chocolate for my blog images with a 3 month subscription. The price is great and I love the images as well. If you’re looking for images, I definitely recommend checking them out. Both of the “Pinterest” images in this blog post are from Haute Chocolate.

I released my How To Start A Blog FREE Course a few months ago. If you’ve been wanting to start a blog, then check this out. I created this email course for those who are interested in starting a blog, but haven’t done so yet. The course is free, and over 7,000 people have already signed up just in the past few months. Thank you to everyone who has sent me kind emails about how great the course is. I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner!

Due to how well my first free course went, in August I created the free Master Your Money email course. It’s full of great money management lessons and financial worksheets (such as a free budget template), and I’m loving the positive response from this email course as well. What topic should I turn into a course next?

This month, I will hopefully be creating a free personal finance support group on Facebook. I’m extremely excited for this to be live! This would be a place where everyone can talk about money freely, seek support and help, and so on.

In April, I switched to ConvertKit. Aweber was great, but Convertkit just makes sending a newsletter effectively so much easier. The switch has been going very well so far. I never really understood email marketing before, but ConvertKit makes it so easy and now I feel like I’m an expert! ConvertKit has really helped me to improve my affiliate income even though my page views have been down.

Also, I have received many questions recently about how I’m staying connected to the internet so that I can work and travel in my RV at the same time. I use a Verizon Mifi and I am able to stay connected pretty much anywhere with it. It really comes in handy because you can’t always trust free wifi. Sometimes free wifi is slow, hard to find, or not safe. I don’t know what I would do without this device!

Featured Question: Why does a blogger need an email list?

I feature one question from a reader in each monthly income report. Please leave a comment below if you have a question that you would like me to answer.

My biggest blogging mistake is that I waited YEARS to start an email list, and then even longer to take it seriously. I started my email list around 1.5 to 2 years ago.

Yes, I waited that long!

And, I didn’t get serious about that actual email list until just a few months ago, when I switched to Convertkit. I didn’t really use my email list because I didn’t really understand newsletters, and I also didn’t realize how having an email list could help me. Due to that, I didn’t start trying to grow my email list until just this year.

Wow, was that a huge mistake.

I really wish I would have spent more time on my newsletter, but I’m glad I’ve learned from my mistake.

Due to this, I recommend that all bloggers spend time growing their email list.

Here is why all bloggers should have an email list:

Your newsletter is all yours. Unlike with social media websites like Pinterest and Facebook, your newsletter and email subscribers are all yours, and you have their undivided attention. You don’t have to worry about some social media algorithm not showing your content to your readers, as they are your email subscribers so you aren’t fighting with anyone else to have them see your content.

The money is in your list.I believe that email/newsletter is the best way to promote an affiliate product. Your email subscribers signed up specifically to hear what YOU have to say, so you definitely have their attention. Your email list, over any other strategy, will almost always lead to more sales.

Your email subscribers are loyal followers. If someone is allowing you to show up in their email inbox whenever you want, then they probably trust what you have to say and enjoy listening to you. This is a great way to grow an audience and to grow a loyal audience at that.

Email is a great way to deliver other forms of content.With Convertkit, I am able to also create free email courses that can automatically be sent out to my subscribers. This makes life easy because all a reader has to do is sign up, and then Convertkit sends out all the information that they need and drips out the content day by day (or whatever timeframe I choose).

My plans for my website and my business.

Plans and goals can help you to run a successful business. I believe that working towards a goal can help keep a person motivated.

Below are some of the areas I am currently working on:

Promote better.I am doing much better at promoting my articles and I’m noticing a huge improvement. I recently started focusing more on gaining traffic from Facebook, and I’ve been very pleased with the results. I used to only see around 100 visits a day from Facebook, but in the past month I have been seeing anywhere from around 2,000 to 3,000 visits a day from Facebook.

Diversify traffic avenues. A lot of my traffic comes from Pinterest, due to this, I would like to spend more time diversifying my traffic. This is why I’m starting to spend more time on Facebook and learning more about SEO.

Continue learning.I recently joined a new SEO mastermind and I am doing a ton of reading on SEO. It’s a topic I’ve never spent time on, but that will be changing over the next few months.

Accept more interviews. I took part in over 20 interviews in October due to the release of my course. I also took part in my FIRST podcast last month!

Double my business income. Yes, I said double. I would love to double 2015’s income. I have actually already BEAT this goal for 2016!

Increase my page views to 1,000,000 each month. I realize this is a superficial goal, but it’s quantifiable and that’s what I like about it. I would like to hit one million page views a month by Summer 2017. My plan is to focus more on Pinterest, Facebook, and SEO. Wish me luck!

Affiliate income.

Overall, I earned $54,432.18 in affiliate income in October of 2016, as outlined earlier in this blogging income report.

I’m a huge fan of affiliate income, of course. It’s something that I enjoy due to how passive it can feel. It makes full-time traveling much more enjoyable when I know I can bring in an income while having fun seeing new areas.

Affiliate income very slightly decreased in October, and it was a great month. This is interesting because it’s also one of the lowest months for page views that I’ve had in quite some time.

As I always say, blogging income is not dependent on page views. Even brand new bloggers can make money through affiliate marketing. If you know the correct way to promote a product, you can succeed at affiliate marketing. This is one of the main things I teach in my Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing course.

My affiliate strategy course went live in July of 2016. I’ve already had over 800 people purchase the course, and I’d love to have you as a student too!

In Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, there are 6 modules, over 30 lessons, several worksheets, bonuses, an extremely helpful and exclusive Facebook group, and more. I go through everything that you need to know about affiliate marketing, such as:

A quick introduction to affiliate marketing and how it works

The benefits of affiliate marketing

The exact steps I’ve taken to earn over $400,000 from a single blog post

How to correctly pick affiliate products to promote

The steps to increase your conversion rate

How to build trust with your readers (this is a MUST!)

The required disclosures you need to know about

The major tool you need for affiliate marketing

The many different strategies to promote your affiliate links

This course is anything and everything about affiliate marketing. This course is perfect for you whether you are a new blogger or if you’ve been blogging for years, no matter what topic your blog is about, what country you live in, and so on. I wrote this course so that it would benefit everyone, and there is so much to learn from it!

How was October for you? Are you interested in earning blogging income?

]]>http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/october-2016-blog-income-report.html/feed85http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/october-2016-blog-income-report.htmlWhat It’s Like Living In An RVhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MakingSenseOfCents/~3/H1NsB3sBS38/what-its-like-living-in-an-rv.html
http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/what-its-like-living-in-an-rv.html#commentsMon, 07 Nov 2016 08:45:21 +0000http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/?p=28166For the past year, me and my husband, as well as our two dogs, have been living in an RV. Some people think we’re crazy (okay, most people think that), others are extremely interested and want to do it as well, but the most common question we receive from anyone is “What is it like […]

]]>For the past year, me and my husband, as well as our two dogs, have been living in an RV.

Some people think we’re crazy (okay, most people think that), others are extremely interested and want to do it as well, but the most common question we receive from anyone is “What is it like living in an RV?”

Makes sense, as living in an RV isn’t the “normal” American dream.

Just over a year ago, I never thought I’d live in an RV either. It was never a dream of mine or anything like that. I never gave it a second thought.

However, one step into an RV and I knew it was for me. Living in our RV full-time has been the best thing ever, and we truly love living in an RV.

In case you’re new here, below is a picture of our home:

In the past year, we’ve traveled around 15,000 miles in the RV, with even more miles put on our Jeep.

We’ve already traveled to many awesome places in our RV, such as:

The Pacific Northwest (Wes cycled 1,000 miles from Port Angeles, Washington to San Francisco, California, while I drove myself and our two dogs in the RV). We went to Mount Rainier National Park, Olympic National Park, Kalaloch and Ruby Beach, Hoh National Rainforest, La Push Beach, and many other beautiful places. This was the trip of a lifetime!

Utah (many times) – Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Moab, and many other places.

Colorado (many times) – Rocky Mountain National Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado National Monument, Dinosaur National Monument, and many other places.

“Home” in Missouri

Mississippi

Arizona – Saguaro National Park, Tucson, Sedona, and many other places.

California – This was a part of the Pacific Northwest trip, but we continued on and hopped along beaches all the way to Los Angeles.

Wyoming – Yellowstone National Park and Grand Tetons National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

And much, much more.

If you’re interested in RVing, check out these other blog posts on Making Sense of Cents:

You can park your home wherever you want to.

This is probably one of the best things about living in an RV. Going on vacations is nice, but I love being able to bring my entire home with me. This way I’m not forgetting anything, and because my home is always with me, I still get to live comfortably.

We get to park our home wherever we want. This means that we can follow great weather, visit family and friends whenever it’s convenient for everyone, move to awesome new places whenever we want, and so on.

Following the weather is something that we truly love. We really only have clothes for one season, so we avoid places that are cold.

I pretty much wear flip flops, shorts, and tank tops year round, which is really nice.

It’s exciting living in new places all the time.

You cannot beat the kind of views we’ve had out of our RV window.

And, there have been a lot of them.

We’ve seen beautiful national parks right outside our window, amazing mountain ranges, all different kinds of landscapes, and more.

This means that there are always plenty of things to do. Boredom is a thing of the past, and I really cannot remember the last time I said I was bored. We can go on hikes all the time, paddle board, try a new restaurant, go Jeeping, biking, and more.

Not seeing friends and family all the time is different.

I’m not going to lie, when we first started RVing, I was a little sad.

Not seeing friends and family as much as we were used to was hard, especially knowing that we’re missing out on big life events and all of the little things in between. We still try to go home as often as we can.

However, this feeling has passed a little bit. I no longer get that FOMO (fear of missing out) feeling as much as I did in the beginning.

Now, we really just try to enjoy the times when we do go back, even if they are brief.

Working while living in an RV is a great thing.

Living in an RV has taught me to better manage a comfortable work-life balance, work ahead, as well as seek ways to increase my passive income.

Due to all of this, my business income has significantly increased, and I now manage everything much better.

Working while living in an RV is super nice, as you can probably tell!

Plus, having great views while you work is very motivating. It’s really refreshing to sit in the passenger seat up front, and just work while glancing at the scenery right outside our front window.

Also, I’ve had a lot of you ask what I’m using for internet. I am using a Verizon MiFi Jetpack. I also have AT&T for our cell phones so that we are always covered. This may sound crazy, but every RVer we’ve met has the same set up.

Watching scary movies in an RV makes them even scarier.

If you’re a fan of scary movies or TV shows involving zombies (like The Walking Dead), everything becomes even more enjoyable (i.e. scarier) when you’re watching it in an RV.

Note: Good luck letting the dogs out at night after doing this.

Driving an RV can be fun, but also stressful.

Wes always drives our RV, and I’m always sitting up front with him so that we can have a second set of eyes watching the road at all times.

Driving an RV isn’t necessarily hard, but there are a lot of bad drivers out there who are especially bad around RVers. Plus, you have to watch for construction areas, big dips in the road, and so on.

Due to this, we limit our driving to 250 miles a day on travel days. However, because we travel fairly slowly, travel days don’t come around too often.

Making friends when living in an RV is interesting.

Whenever we make new RV friends, it’s like we’re long lost best friends. There’s always an instant connection, lots of laughs after just a few moments of meeting each other, and going our separate ways (a normal thing in RV life) is always a little sad.

One time we had a young couple knock on our RV door and ask us if we wanted to hang out with them for drinks that night. We had never met them before, but they said they saw us roll into the campground and that they wanted to hang out.

This is a completely normal thing when living in an RV, haha!

Downsizing is liberating.

Living in an RV means that you’ll have to downsize. While some people dread this, getting rid of nearly all of your stuff is extremely liberating.

When we sold our house and moved into an RV, we donated and got rid of a lot of our belongings. At first it was difficult to get rid of so much, but it became easier as time went on.

These days, all we have is what we have with us. We have a small amount of everything, and we like it best this way.

We are much more mindful of what we buy, we waste hardly anything, and this is allowing us to save money as well.

Plus, when you’re RVing, you no longer have a need to buy as much stuff because the outdoors take up all of your time. Whereas before we would waste time by going to the mall, Target, and other stores- we hardly ever do that now. Now, we spend a lot of our time exploring new places.

]]>http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/what-its-like-living-in-an-rv.html/feed51http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/what-its-like-living-in-an-rv.htmlHow To Make $25,000 – $45,000 A Year As A New Photographerhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MakingSenseOfCents/~3/MXZGdGxLIAE/how-to-make-money-from-photography.html
http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/how-to-make-money-from-photography.html#commentsFri, 04 Nov 2016 07:30:25 +0000http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/?p=27849Hello! Today, I have an amazing interview to share with you that will show you how to make money from photography. I recently had the chance to interview Christian of The Click Cartel, who explains how this may be a possibility for you. Christian is an NYC-based photographer working part-time from home and he earns over $100,000 a […]

]]>Hello! Today, I have an amazing interview to share with you that will show you how to make money from photography. I recently had the chance to interview Christian of The Click Cartel, who explains how this may be a possibility for you.

Christian is an NYC-based photographer working part-time from home and he earns over $100,000 a year. By the first year, he believes that someone should be making between $25,000-45,000 a year with a photography business, depending on their niche and investment of time.

If you are looking for a new career, business, or even just a side hustle, this may be something that you want to look into.

Check out the interview below for more information on how to make money from photography.

Please give us a little background on yourself, how you started with photography, and how it’s going for you right now.

I’m a NYC-based photographer working part-time from home and making over $100,000 a year. I’ve been making money from photography for over two decades, but I haven’t always made six figures.

Let me back up…

My love for photography goes all the way back to my childhood. I’ve always been a “photo nerd.” I got my first camera when I was 9 years old, and an SLR when I was 13. At 14, my brother and I converted part of our basement into a darkroom.

A few years later, I moved to NYC for college to study — you guessed it — photography! An hour after I got off the bus, and before I’d even set my bag on the dorm room floor, I had already landed a job as a photo assistant. I was focused!

College was great, but it wasn’t the best way to learn how to make money in the profession. None of those instructors were out there in the market making six figures, so they didn’t really know how to teach it.

I graduated shortly after 9/11, so budgets for things like photography had been slashed, and I ended up driving a truck to make ends meet. I also hustled up some internships that eventually became paid, and ended up assisting a fashion photographer. Since I had no idea what I wanted to specialize in, I tried to get jobs in the field I was working in.

In the meantime, I needed extra cash, so I made use of some of my contacts in the event-planning space and booked some wedding shoots. I’d always had a low opinion of event photography, but I figured it was a pretty quick way to earn some decent money. It turns out that I was not very well-suited for weddings, but I did realize I might have a knack for some other areas of event photography.

After my brief wedding photography stint, I ended up working for an agency shooting events for the magazine and fashion industry. Eventually, I parlayed that experience into a job at Women’s Wear Daily. At that time, it was the daily newspaper for the fashion industry.

I had great experiences in the fashion and magazine industry, and gained access to people, places and events I would’ve never even dreamed of. But I knew the real money was in working for myself. So while I was shooting for them, I was also working on events for private clients and building my own business.

After a lot of trial and error in a few different industries, I ended up getting hired as a bar mitzvah photographer. It turned out to be a great fit! Luckily, it was also good money, so I started focusing on that niche more and more. I did a lot of research on running a successful photography business and stumbled across a system for setting up the sale that would get me 2-5 times my booking fee after each shoot. My booking fee is around $7,200 a day, so to double that on a job is not terrible!

What’s great about this system is that it can be applied to almost any type of photography (not just events), and I teach my students how to successfully implement it in their own businesses.

My journey to becoming a six-figure photographer was much longer than it needed to be. I didn’t have guidance, a mentor, or any kind of map. Becoming a profitable photographer takes work, but it does not need to take years of your life. There are hacks and shortcuts that will get you there much quicker.

It took me years to create a profitable photography business, but now I teach people how to do it in a matter of months! I wish I’d had this system when I started out!

I do want to mention here that anyone who is interested in learning to run a successful photography business is welcome to sign up for my free course before committing to the full intensive version.

But I don’t want anyone to see this and think you have to have fancy clients to make good money.

I know plenty of photographers who make over $250,000 a year in all kinds of niches, most of them without famous clientele.

How exactly does a photographer make money? Who are the typical clients?

Photographers make money a few different ways.

They get paid for their time shooting, digital and physical products, and in some cases, the rights of use for an image.

Photography is so vast that it’s hard to say who the typical client is. Clients can range from an art buyer at an advertising agency to a mom who wants to have family photos. Photography is an investment product. Buyers are investing in their business, family, or personal life. It’s important to understand this because price is determined not by how long it took to snap the picture, but how much that picture is worth to the client.

You’ve mentioned wedding, family and fashion photography. What other types of photography can someone make money in?

There is literally a market for almost any interest you have. Just off the top of my head, some specialties include maternity, pets, seniors, product, architecture, fine art, parties, real estate, babies, children, engagement, automobiles, food…the list goes on. And each of these niches can be profitable if you have the tools and knowledge to run your business the right way.

How much can a new photographer expect to make? How much can a person expect to make around one year after they start?

There is no cut and dry answer, and a couple of factors will determine this.

The first factor is commitment. Like any work-at-home business, the amount of time you are willing to commit will determine how much money you make and how quickly you make it.

The second is specializing. Most photographers (myself included) make the mistake of not finding a niche early on. That increases the amount of time it will take for your business to be lucrative. Having a niche means that you don’t have to know everything about photography, just the tiny fraction it takes to get the great results your clients will pay top dollar for.

Then, there’s sales. I see a lot of photographers (not just newbies), who don’t understand how to structure their sale, and leave thousands of dollars on the table. Learning a simple technique for sales sky-rocketed my business and turned me into a six-figure photographer from only 20 shoots a year. I teach my students how to package and sell, so that they are getting the maximum profit from every job.

Once a photographer is up and running, it’s quite common to make over six figures a year. I would say that by the first year, someone should be making between $25,000-45,000 a year, depending on their niche and investment of time.

What are the positives of being a photographer?

There are many great things about being a photographer.

The first is that you get to do something you are passionate about. Because there are so many different niches of photography, you can work with something that really speaks to you. Do you love fashion, architecture, people, jewelry, or travel? There are ways to make money photographing all these things.

Also, photography is a great work-at-home option. Some types of photography can be 100% work-at-home, especially if you can make part of your home into a studio. But even if you do need to do some shooting outside of your house, 95% of that work can still be done at home or on the road.

I also like to point out that most photography is seasonal, so you can choose a niche based on the time of year you want to work. My business aligns with the school year, so I have very few jobs in the summer or during holiday breaks. Because of this, I get to take summers off and travel. How great is that for work-at-home moms?

Another fantastic thing about photography is that most of the work can be done on your schedule. If you want to edit or retouch images after the kids have gone to bed, or early in the morning when you have the energy, you absolutely can. If you need to schedule in-person meetings, you can do that on your own time as well.

All of this is great, but the most rewarding thing about being a photographer is the ability you have to positively impact people’s lives. One such time for me was when I had a client whose father had died shortly after her youngest child’s bar mitzvah. I was able to send her images of her father and her sons from the years we had worked together. Being able to help her remember the time they had together really meant a lot to her, and it was an honor to be a part of it.

Your work can also impact a person’s self-concept. If you are a portrait or boudoir photographer, you have the unique ability to capture a person’s beauty in a way that they may never see when they look in the mirror.

I’ve even taken online dating photos for people (a great niche by the way), and they’re always thrilled with the results a good photo can achieve.

What are the negatives of being a photographer?

Good question. There are a few negatives that anyone wishing to become a photographer needs to consider:

All the available information can be overwhelming.

New photographers tend to spend lots of time on technical information, but fail to focus in on the photographic skills they actually need in order to deliver a great product to their client. When new photographers don’t work at getting competent in those small skills, it affects their confidence in what they can deliver. That lack of confidence means it could take a while to start earning money.

Because photography is such a vast subject, people can waste time on dead ends that don’t get them any closer to making money. If you decide to start your business alone, without guidance or a plan, you will probably waste a lot of time and become extremely frustrated in the process.

I teach my students how to focus in on a lucrative niche that they love, and then get good at the skills they need to deliver something their clients will pay top dollar for.

It can be a lonely business.

Once you’re working as a photographer, you will probably spend a lot of time at home. This can be a bad thing if you’re single and don’t have a good social network. There have been more days than I care to admit when 5 PM rolled around and I was still in my PJs.

It can be difficult to force yourself to work.

Being a photographer requires a high level of self-direction. Since the work can be done on a flexible schedule, it’s tempting to put it off until “tomorrow.” Good time management is essential in any work-at-home flexible business, and photography is no exception.

Networking can feel scary.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, getting clients can seem daunting at first. Specializing in a niche helps a lot, but it also helps to know how to connect with people and structure your contacts effectively. This way, you get a stream of pre-qualified clients sent to you by other people.

How can a person start their own photography business?

The intensive course I teach actually lists the 10 exact steps I would take to start a six-figure photo business with little technical knowledge (at first). But here is an overview to get you started:

Start by picking a niche you love. If you love what you are doing, it’s going to be much easier to find clients, you will care more, and have a lot more fun in the process.

Get good at that niche by deconstructing great photos you love in that field and recreating them. The trick to gaining confidence as a photographer is becoming competent. If you know can deliver great images to your client, you gain confidence from that ability and understanding.

Once you know what you can deliver, and are confident, it’s time to start making money! In order to do that effectively you need to understand the pricing model that is going to work best for your business, and where the upsell is. It’s all about the upsell! The first time I used an upsell, I took a $0 job and turned it into $5,000. Not too shabby!

I left something off this list on purpose. It’s where new photographers waste a ton of their time and delay their profits…

Their websites.

Don’t get me wrong — a good website is important. It’s where potential clients can go to research you, see that you’re legit, and view samples of your work. However, it is NOT where the high-value clients will find you. What I mean by that is, I have yet to hear anyone say, “I’ve never heard of you, but I stumbled across your website and you look cool. Can I pay you $7,000?”

How much does it cost to start this type of business and how much on a monthly basis to maintain it?

The start-up costs of photography can seem daunting at first, but they really don’t need to be. People look at the top-of-the-line camera equipment and think, “How am I going to afford a $2,500 camera?”

The answer is, by making money with a camera you can afford until you know you are going to make that $2,500 back (and more).

Look at photo gear like a worker looks at their tools. Once you know the job you need to do, then you can figure out the right tools for the job. As long as you don’t buy things you can’t use to make money, you won’t be wasting your resources.

In other words, keep it lean and mean! If you need something special, rent it. I have one job that requires me to use a $7,000 200-400mm zoom lens. I have needed it exactly 3 times in my career, and even if I need it a 4th time, it makes the most sense to rent it.

My gear cost under $20,000 for cameras, lenses, flashes and strobes. But I didn’t spend all that at once. I added equipment over time as I could make more money from it.

Other possible expenses when starting out are business cards, web hosting and design, samples of any physical products you’ll be selling and insurance.

You don’t have to buy insurance when first starting out, but I strongly suggest you do. I cover the different kinds you will need in my intensive course.

Everything else is on a per-job basis, like rented equipment or transportation. But these should be factored into the price of each job so that you always come out ahead.

Are there any other tips that you have for someone who wants to learn how to make money from photography?

Get ready for a pun…

F.O.C.U.S.

Focus is an acronym for “Follow One Course Until Success.”

This is especially true for photographers just starting out. Once you have tried out some different niches and found the one you love, don’t keep messing about. Own that niche. Get good at it. Learn to sell it!

Photography is an avenue to a life you can’t even imagine. And you can do it! It takes dedication and patience with yourself, but if you stick with it, and have the right attitude, it will pay off!

Photography can open the door to amazing opportunities you’ve only dreamed of, go places that most other people can’t, and get paid very well in the process.This year, I have all-access clearance at 3 parties for the musical Hamilton (you know — the one no one can get tickets to). Not only did I get backstage access at all of these parties, but they handed me a check and some free tickets to boot!

Lastly, I know you offer products to help others create successful photography businesses and learn how to make money from photography. What can a person learn from your course?

First of all, you won’t find anything like this anywhere. I know because I looked!

This is the course I wish I’d had when starting my business, and that’s why I created it. There’s tons of information online about posing, lighting, backdrops and cameras, but where is the information that tells you how to turn all that stuff into a money-making machine?

I created my course as a step-by-step guide for exactly how I would start a lucrative photography business from scratch as quickly as possible, even if I had very little technical experience. It’s a course for anyone who would like to make money with photography, but needs a step-by-step formula to make it a profitable and fun business.

I start with how successful photographers get 99% of their clients, then move on to the nitty gritty of setting up a photo business for long term success. Next up is finding a niche you love and then getting good at it, while simultaneously building your portfolio, growing your network of clients, and building social proof.

In other words, I teach my students how to get a steady stream of pre-qualified clients.

Other things you will learn include creating promotional assets, systematizing sales, client management and production.

Until now, I’ve only shared my techniques with my one-on-one consulting clients. But after years of being asked to share it with others, I’ve finally decided to give up the goods.

Why?

Because I know my system works. I know that when you follow my system exactly as I lay it out, you will see results.

Here’s what happened to a couple of my recent students:

One student who shoots headshots for actors, was able to add $1,000-2,000 per month to his bottom line within the first month of taking my course.

And another student, who is a very talented food photographer, was able to go from $400 a day to over $2,400 a day, almost immediately!

These are the results I love to hear about! I want nothing more than to see my students succeed in this business. It’s not a competition. It’s a community.

]]>http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/how-to-make-money-from-photography.html/feed24http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/how-to-make-money-from-photography.htmlHolidays, Money, and Family – Check out these interesting holiday spending stats!http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MakingSenseOfCents/~3/OVEWFQ-pe6w/holidays-money-family-check-interest-holiday-spending-stats.html
http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/holidays-money-family-check-interest-holiday-spending-stats.html#commentsThu, 03 Nov 2016 03:59:26 +0000http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/?p=28745T. Rowe Price recently released the survey – Parents, Kids, & Money, which surveyed more than 1,000 parents as well as their children between the ages of 8 to 14. This survey revealed that most parents actually want to overextend their money and spending in order to get their children what they want for gifts and […]

T. Rowe Price recently released the survey – Parents, Kids, & Money, which surveyed more than 1,000 parents as well as their children between the ages of 8 to 14. This survey revealed that most parents actually want to overextend their money and spending in order to get their children what they want for gifts and holiday presents.

This is shocking, especially so because 25% of the parents surveyed have either taken funds out of their retirement funds or even their emergency funds in order to pay for gifts and other holiday costs.

To me, that just sounds crazy. The holidays should be more about spending quality time with those that you love, not being extremely stressed out because you are spending all of your money on the holidays.

Here are some other interesting results that were found in the T. Rowe Price survey:

The average amount spend on a child between the ages of 8-14 was $422 and 34% spend more than $500!

87% of children were encouraged by their parents to give toys or clothing away. This is a statistic that I definitely loved from the survey! The holidays aren’t all about receiving gifts, they are also about being charitable and helping others as well.

83% of millennials save for the holidays year round (that is higher than other generations), but they are also more likely to spend more than what they have even saved.

64% of parents believe that they spend more money on the holidays than they should have That’s a lot of buyer’s remorse!

25% of parents have at one point in their parenting life taken money out of their retirement account to pay for holiday spending.

Marty Allenbaugh from T. Rowe Price, says about the survey:

“No one wants to be a Scrooge. Between our inclination to be generous during the holiday season and the blockbuster retail deals, playing Santa can be kryptonite for even the savviest budgeters. But splurging a little shouldn’t turn into indulgence at the expense of financial well-being. Retirement accounts are meant to fund retirement. Emergency funds are meant to fund emergencies. Payday loans should be the last of last resorts. Nothing that comes wrapped in a ribbon is worth the consequence of bending these rules.”

Spending too much money on the holidays is a major problem because that debt will eventually need to be paid off. Plus, interest and other finance charges may be added to this amount, which may cause the small amount you may have put on your credit card to inflate into a much bigger number.

This can then impact your credit score, your credit history, your debt to income ratio, and more.

Plus, all of that money that you spend on the holidays will most likely only be appreciated around the holidays, and then many of those gifts will most likely be forgotten about later down the line.

Instead of purchasing everything that your child ever wants, parents should think more about having their children think about what they actually want and what they will actually use. Talking to your children about the value of money and holiday spending will help them you better understand money. I recommend having children check out MoneyConfidentKids.com as there are many financial resources for children so that they can better understand money.

]]>http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/holidays-money-family-check-interest-holiday-spending-stats.html/feed4http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/11/holidays-money-family-check-interest-holiday-spending-stats.htmlYou’re Not That New Pair Of Shoes – 9 Ways Buying Things Won’t Make You Happyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/MakingSenseOfCents/~3/DMlrjLFmBs4/buying-things-will-not-make-you-happy.html
http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/2016/10/buying-things-will-not-make-you-happy.html#commentsMon, 31 Oct 2016 07:30:25 +0000http://www.makingsenseofcents.com/?p=27805Some people buy things because they think it will make them happier. They may buy a new pair of shoes to feel better about themselves or a new car to impress someone. Well, I want to tell you something: Buying things won’t make you a happier person. Instead, you should focus on what makes YOU […]

]]>Some people buy things because they think it will make them happier. They may buy a new pair of shoes to feel better about themselves or a new car to impress someone.

Well, I want to tell you something: Buying things won’t make you a happier person. Instead, you should focus on what makes YOU happy.

However, that doesn’t stop some people from spending much more than they have, especially because it’s easy to think that buying things will make them a happier person.

Considering that 68% of people live paycheck to paycheck, 26% have no savings whatsoever, the median amount saved for retirement is less than $60,000, and the average household has $7,283 in credit card debt- I’m going to assume that the average person is feeling more stress than happiness due to the things that they buy.

Sure, you may get a little bit of excitement as you purchase that new pair of shoes or new car (occasionally), but for the most part, you won’t still have that same feeling years later.

You probably won’t even be happy with that purchase just a month later!

Usually, you’ll regret it or feel some other negative feeling, and in today’s post we’ll talk about why that spending won’t make you happy.

Now, I’m not saying that all spending is bad. Spending is fine, as long as it’s budgeted for, you can afford it, and it actually makes you happy! In this blog post, I’m referring to the opposite type of spending- the type where you’re trying to impress someone, emotional spending, and so on.

Buying things won’t make you happy for many reasons. Continue reading below to learn more.

Your stuff doesn’t define who you are.

Having more stuff doesn’t make you happier and your stuff doesn’t define who you are.

You’re not that pair of pants…

You’re not your car…

You should only purchase things that you want and/or need, and not if you are trying to pretend to be someone else. You should only own something if you truly want it. Who cares about what everyone else has!

Your emotions can lead to spending disasters.

Some people spend money and buy things because they believe that it will make them happy. This is known as emotional spending.

According to NerdWallet, the average U.S. household (who has debt) has an average credit card debt of $15,611, and I’m sure some of that is due to emotional spending.

Emotional spending occurs for many different reasons. You may have had a bad day at work, a fight with your loved one, and so on. You might even be spending because you are stressed out about the amount of spending you have done.

However, emotional spending usually just leads to more problems and most often, never cures anything.

To end your emotional spending habit, I recommend:

Figuring out how much debt you have. You’ll most likely be shocked, and hopefully this will persuade you to change your spending habits and the way you deal with stress.

Understanding why you spend when you’re stressed. In order to stop stress spending, you need to really think about why you have this problem. Without understanding your problem, you may continue to fall into the same cycle over and over again.

Thinking about your financial goals, so that you can stay motivated.

Finding different ways to deal with stress.

Sticking to a budget.

Buying things can prevent you from reaching your goal.

You may be preventing yourself from reaching a financial goal by purchasing more and more. This can lead to additional stress, sadness, a feeling of defeat, and more.

The next time you are going to purchase something that is just a “want,” you may want to think about whether or not it will hold you back from your goal.

More stuff means more to maintain.

With every item you add to your life, there will be more and more that you’ll have to spend extra time and money to maintain. Things may get broken, lost, stolen, dirty, etc. They may need to be repaired or even replaced.

Who wants all of that stress?

That purchase may cost you more in the long run.

To build on the previous point, the initial cost of purchasing an item may not be the only cost. You may also need to pay to store the item, organize it, interest charges, and so on.

This can lead to more stress, more time spent on the item, and so on.

There’s always something else to buy.

I know people who are always buying the latest and greatest items. Every year they will buy the newest iPhone, they’ll upgrade their laptop, and more. Most of these people are in debt and live a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle.

Are these people happy?

I don’t know, but I don’t see how upgrading every single year could make you a happier person if you can’t afford it.

The thing is, there will always be something newer to buy. If you want the latest and greatest thing, you may be disappointed because there will always be something else.

What makes one person happy won’t necessarily be the same for you.

I’m sure almost everyone, at one point in their life, has felt the need to keep up with someone else.

You may want the same car, the same house, the same designer clothing, and so on.

The problem with this is that it can make you broke.

When trying to keep up with someone else, you might spend money you do not have. You might put expenses on credit cards to (in a pretend world) “afford” things. You might buy things that you do not care about. The problems can go on and on.

This can lead to a significant amount of debt.

Trying to the same things as someone else is not worth it because:

You will never be happy, no matter how much money you spend.

You will constantly compare yourself to everyone.

You will go into debt because that’s the only way you feel like you can keep up.

You will have a loan payment for everything because that’s the only way you can “afford” things.

You won’t have any money leftover for retirement, an emergency fund, etc. because you’re spending it all on things you do not need.

Instead, you should figure out why you want to keep up with someone else, think about your own life and your own goals, realize that jealousy won’t get you anywhere, and try your best to live within your means.

You’re not impressing anyone.

If you’re purchasing things just to impress others, well- you will be disappointed. For the most part, no one cares or will even know that you bought something new.

You should do what makes you happy and only buy things for yourself- not to impress anyone else.

Money problems may lead to stress and other problems.

If you buy things that you cannot afford, this can lead to significant amounts of stress and other financial problems.

You may find yourself with more credit card debt than you can handle, personal loans, high interest charges, stuck in a paycheck to paycheck lifestyle, and more.